Abhorsen in Waiting
by Riley Poole
Summary: To cross the Ninth gate of Death and survive is truly a tale to tell. HPxHG, time travel, action, adventure, AU.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: A new story. This is replacing my other story Lapdog as my primary focus. Hope you all enjoy. Also, see profile for my standard Disclaimer please.

It was raining out.

Pouring actually was a better description. The woman drew her jacket closer together; trying to ward off the last of winter's chill as the umbrella swept away most of the rain from falling on her. In the light of a lone street lamp she looked through the gloom before making a left and heading forward with a determined pace.

Soon she stood outside a darkened storefront. She looked left and right before stepping forward. The sheet of glass shivered and wavered like a puddle of water before returning to its normal solid state. No one saw, no one would have noticed and none were the wiser.

Inside the woman dropped the umbrella to the side and gave it a vigorous shake, it slowly rippled into a simple oak cane with a small knotted top of blackened wood. Her hand gripped the knot and she slowly placed her weight onto the cane, allowing it to support her as she smoothly moved forward, only the slightest limp now noticeable.

She stopped at the front desk and removed the wide brimmed hat that had been sheltering her further from the torrent outside. A cascade of light brown locks fell down and brown eyes peered inquisitively at the receptionist. A few gray wisps floated gently whilst she waited for the receptionist to look up. When she finally did, she smiled and nodded.

"Two floors down, in his usual room at the end of the hall," she said with a polite and well-timed response. The brown haired woman's lips quirked slightly at the edges and she smoothly slipped into one of the waiting lifts. She pressed the appropriate button and reached up to hold the provided straps just as the lift jerked and with a swift dropping feeling, opened on the ward she was looking for.

As she stepped out she looked to the left and then quickly turned on her heel and brought her hand up to her face. The accident known as Gilderoy Lockhart was currently regaling nurses with a made up story of heroics and bravery in the October 31st food fight of 2080. She did not want to get caught up in yet another introduction to the man.

She moved quickly to the end of the hall and came upon the door. It wasn't just a door, but the door. Three full inches of mythril and wards and inscribed runes. The door cold hold back Fiendfyre if needed. It was a work of art and she stopped to admire the play of the runes lights as they shifted across the surface. It had been her idea to contact Ancelstierre and through them the Old Kingdom. With that contact, a Charter Mage had been sent to inscribe yet more protection upon the door, for inside lay one of their own, locked in battle with a sorcerer far more deadly than any could consider.

The woman placed her thumb upon her forehead and then placed it again upon a single symbol on the door. A triangle within a circle, it began to glow, resonating with the identical symbol upon the woman. After a brief moment, they both faded and a lock could be heard cycling open. She shivered as the rush of the Charter left her and she lost the feeling of knowing the world completely.

The door swung open and she slipped inside. The room was dimly lit, as always. A bed with a chest at its foot lay within. She shut the door and the locks cycled closed again. She locked the door from the inside with both a key and a word. The whole door glowed a solid white for a moment and then dulled once more.

The woman stepped up to the bedside and carefully interlaced her hands with the sleeping form in the bed. The fingers of the hand she grasped encompassed hers in warmth. She slowly stroked the man's hair and carefully swept the strands away from his face. His eyes flickered beneath their lids as if in a dream, but she knew it was nothing of the sort. On his forehead were two marks, one similar to hers, but instead it was a circle within a triangle and bisected, next to it a much more pale and easily missed scar of a lightning bolt persisted, years after it was first given.

"It's me again Harry, it's Hermione," the woman murmured as she stroked his forehead. She lowered herself to him and placed a gentle kiss on the corner of his mouth. She had never truly kissed him since he had fell into his current state.

She continued to whisper sweet nothings for a moment or two, taking care to fluff his pillow and adjust the sheets he had loosened in his shivering state. She checked under the blanket and noticed that the sword and bandoleer he had worn were still there; no one had been able to remove them from his possession.

After taking care of the small niceties, she stepped over to the chest and placed her thumb upon it once more. A locked clicked and the trunk lid popped up slightly. She divested herself of her jacket and umbrella, and placed them to the side. She slid the satchel on her hip to ride slightly behind her and then drew on a sword frog on the opposite side.

She reached in and with reverence drew forth a bandoleer upon which seven pouches were held, black lacquered handles poking out of the bottom. They ranged in size from the size of her pinky to the size of her forearm. She carefully unlatched the smallest, the largest and the second largest, but the bells remained in their pouches, awaiting her to draw them and ring them. She reached again into the chest and pulled out a sword of gleaming white metal which she carefully inspected before placing a thumb on its hilt. It flared briefly before dulling, and she slid it into the frog.

Finally she drew a small stick of wood and swept it around herself, before drawing a circle on the floor, the circle was made up of runes, both of the Charter and of Futhark around herself and Harry. She smiled grimly as the circle shimmered like a heat wave. She then drew the largest bell from its pouch, keeping a firm grip on the tongue of the bell, lest she start the ritual prematurely.

She reached up with her free hand and began to draw symbols in the air, they glowed like liquid silver in the dim light of the room. Soon there was a full block of symbols littering the room's air. She splayed her hands and then made a clenching motion and the symbols fell to the floor and began to weave themselves into the circle as well. She then carefully removed her hand from the bells tongue, raised it high and slowly dropped her arm.

"Astarael," she intoned lowly. The bell rang with a low monotone sound that drew on long after she had placed her hand within its mouth. She quickly placed it back within its pouch and drew the second largest bell whilst drawing the sword, with a small whisper of courage to herself and a last glance at Harry in his bed, she strode forward into death, leaving her body behind as it quickly became rimed in frost.

The world went dark, black overtook her vision. Slowly she felt a swirling tide rise up to her ankles; the water was warm and dark. She kept her eyes forward, following the flashes of light and snatches of sound towards the one bit of activity in the Ninth Precinct. She dared not look up lest she find out it was her time prematurely. She held Saraneth by the handle, letting the tongue roll around, but she took care not to let it sound just yet. The sword in her other hand glimmered in the starlight.

She slowly approached the light show and stared in awe at the power the two beings displayed. Caught in a web of molten gold, with phoenix song playing, two entities dueled across the single strand of the effects Priori Incatatum. Brother wands, matched in every way, were held by two ragged men.

One looked exactly the same as the Harry she had left, only two bells remained in their pouches and the sword lay broken in the water. He held his wand in one hand and Kibeth, the Walker, in the other. He was slowly ringing Kibeth in a rhythmic motion, the sound carrying far and wide through the Ninth Precinct. Hermione fought the compulsion to listen to its tone.

The other man in the duel however, fared far worse. He twitched with each ring, his snake like features shivering and contorting as he fought against the commanding sound. He struggled not only against the magic of Kibeth but the magic of the golden web. 85 years had led him to this end, and still he fought to re-enter the living world.

Hermione gazed at the two men with an experienced eye and knew that Harry had won a couple inches since the last time she had seen them. It was miniscule, but in the realm of Death and the Ninth Precinct, all it took was one small mistake and it was over. She watched as Harry slowly started to crouch, placing all his weight on his front foot as he crept his back foot forward. Soon it was placed a few inches ahead of his now back foot and with a mighty heave he shoved all his weight forward.

The effect was small but instantaneous. The whole web shifted an inch or two forward and Voldemort was forced back as well. He had to quickly adjust his footing to manage the small movement without falling victim to the tolling of Kibeth which Harry kept up even as he grunted from the exertion. Hermione smiled grimly, as long as Harry still fought, so would she.

But she wasn't here to fight, or to watch. She had a purpose, one she'd been building towards for a very long time. Over twenty years spent learning what was needed and another five perfecting the arts needed to construct and execute the ritual she was about to enact.

She carefully splashed her way over to Harry and stopped in front of him on the edge of his periphery, she could not enter his line of sight fully lest she break his concentration. She did however smile slightly as he nodded once, acknowledging that he knew she was there and he knew what she was going to do. He straightened up and glared harder at Voldemort, holding the web steady. He squared himself and then set his feet and held.

This was the moment they had been waiting for. She stuck the point of the sword into the silt that lay under the warm black waters of the Precinct and slowly drew a circle around her and Harry. She left a small gap open, exactly where the beginning of the Priori was spitting out of Harry's wand. She then turned and lifted her chin but kept her eyes forward. Her mouth opened and she tasted burnt metal and felt fire tear at her throat as she spoke the words of Free Magic that would aid them.

When the words settled in the air, she finally stopped speaking and a hacking cough erupted, something she had never managed to quell, unlike Harry.

She then reached up with the sword and began to draw out symbols of the Charter, identical to the ones she had drawn back in Life. The resonance from the Free Magic in the air created a tiny but important bridge through the dimensions to the circle in Life, connecting the two. She finished the block of Charter symbols and they fell into the same pattern on the floor of the riverbed, undulating and circling them.

She turned around and carefully placed the sword back within its frog and drew out her vine wood wand. She watched Voldemort glare at them in confusion as she meticulously drew out a set of Futhark runes, followed by a set of Keltoi runes, and finally a set of Charter symbols again. They also drifted down to join the ever changing mass on the river bed. She then turned to Harry and nodded once.

Harry took a deep breath, steeled himself and then, with an almighty jerk, ripped his wand upwards and Hermione threw a bolt of light at the opening of the circle, it enclosed the pair. She saw Voldemort shoot two bright orange spells that sizzled in the air, violently clashing with the circle she had drawn. She grabbed Harry's arm and with a cutting curse drew some blood from him. She did the same to herself and then dripped it at the four cardinal points.

Voldemort kept up the barrage on the circle, anger seeping in as his curses became more vicious and destructive in nature. Harry sheathed Kibeth and drew his only other bell, Saraneth. Together they began an alternating rhythm, tolling the Binder in a rapid pace as if ringing in a new year. Light began to gather in the mouths of the bells and shimmering energy poured off the runes in the circle. Hermione began a chant that Harry soon echoed.

Voldemort screamed in fury as the two ignored him. Soon he couldn't even look at them, the light was too blinding. As he watched, the light began to form a beam that moved with agonizing slowness towards the stars. As the beam crept upwards, he felt his eyes drawn to it, he couldn't look away.

Then, it happened. An ear shattering shriek rent the air, the first real sound to be heard in this Precinct besides bells in long time. He tried to tear his gaze away from the light but it was too late. His eyes met the stars, his face paled further and he felt his hand go dead, his wand falling into the river. His feet left the ground and as he gazed upwards, his body became opaque and soon he was lost in the black of the sky.

The beam of light began to turn, as if a tornado was forming in its center and suddenly, red and gold joined the white. An almighty boom sounded over the persistent shriek and suddenly the light disappeared, the sound died off and silence enveloped the Ninth Precinct once more. Nothing stirred, save the ebony wand of the Dark Lord Voldemort as it slowly caught fire, even under the water, it burned brightly and died quickly, not even ash was left behind.

Harry awoke.

Bright emerald eyes stared at a darkened canopy. Ears registered a loud snoring from the bed over and quiet murmurs from two floors down. He shifted and felt for the bedside table, his glasses lay upon it, and under his pillow with a handle protruding was his old holly wand. He felt himself and noticed the lack of a bandoleer over his chest or a sword at his side.

Slowly, Harry sat up, his body groaning in protest as he left the warm fuzzy sanctuary of the blankets. He moved swiftly to the water closet and turned on the shower as hot as he could stand. Stripping down, he gingerly stepped in and slowly turned, reveling in the warmth. It had been a very long time since he had felt this close to life. He needed this.

As he harry slowly turned under the gentle spray of warm water, he thought back on the dream he had been having. It was terrifying to think of, dueling the Dark Lord in a different realm. He had looked so old and worn. He looked at his own hands to see the clear smooth skin of a newly turned 15 year old. There were no calluses for the bells or the sword, there were no lines or spots from age. It was a dream, that's all it was.

He stepped out of the shower and checked himself in the mirror, noting the absence of the strange mark on his forehead. He touched and prodded his face, noting the missing age lines and smoothness of the skin where it wasn't covered by barely noticeable stubble. His lips quirked slightly as he realized he'd have to start shaving again. It had been a long time since a razor had touched his cheeks. Nothing ages in Death,

He shook his head, trying to clear the dream from his mind. He didn't know where that thought had come from but it disappeared as he tried to grasp it. He wrapped a towel around his waist and padded back to the bed room.

Once inside he opened the trunk at the foot of his bed and pulled out some old worn jeans and a Weasley Jumper. He crept silently out of the room and down to the kitchen. He bustled around; preparing what was needed to make a cup of tea, the first real cup in a long time.

He rubbed his eyes until spots appeared, trying to rid his mind of the sudden thoughts once more. The kettle began its low wind up to the piercing whistle when he pulled it off the fire and poured the water into a mug he had found and meticulously cleaned of cobwebs and spider eggs. He dropped the small metal tea infuser into the mug and let the wonderful scent fill his mind instead.

A small thump alerted Harry to her presence before she actually slipped into the kitchen. He watched her for a moment, observing the small movements she made that had not been easily noticed before. Her hand kept moving to her hip unconsciously, as if grasping for something. Confusion was slowly setting in.

"Hello Hermione," he murmured. She didn't jump or gasp, she froze, a habit that could only be born from one who had trained to hide themselves quickly and efficiently. He mulled over the thought even as it slipped away. How had he known that?

Hermione slowly turned until she faced Harry fully, the gleaming moonlight fell across her face and he gasped quietly. She was beautiful, more so than he had ever thought before. Her gaze pierced him through, analyzing him in a way he had never felt before. Then the brief moment was over, her eyes softened and she became herself again, soft and inquisitive.

"Hey, couldn't sleep either?" Harry mutely shook his head. She sighed and moved to the kettle.

"Anything left in here," she asked even as she poured the remainder into another mug Harry had also cleaned. He remained quiet as he removed his tea leaves. She promptly picked up the infuser and dropped it into her own water. He smiled, it was the same as always.

But it wasn't, and that bothered him. He could tell she noticed because she jerked to a stop right after she let go of the infuser's small chain. It clinked into the side of the mug rather loudly in the gloom and quiet of the house. He snorted lightly and he could hear a small giggle. He had no idea what they both found humorous.

"What'd you dream about," he asked her quietly.

"I don't remember much, just a lot of visits to St. Mungo's, seeing friends badly hurt. Some graveyard visits as well. I have a feeling that this war is going to be horrific if we don't do something soon," she said quietly. Harry could tell there was more, but he didn't press it at the moment. He just let it sink in as he quietly sipped his tea, letting the warmth infuse him further, warding off whatever chill he had imagined up in his dreams.

"I dreamt of Death. I dreamed that I was locked in an unending battle with Voldemort, somewhere dark and cold. I never want to see it again," he whispered back. It was only fair she know what he dreamt as well. She looked at him with curious eyes and agape mouth. It snapped shut as she stood up and with a murmured 'wait here' she disappeared into the gloom. Harry was confused and made to follow her but he found himself waiting, trusting her to be back shortly.

She returned and placed a small bundle wrapped in fabric on the table. Harry looked at her with a question on his tongue, but it died in her throat as she opened the bundle. Inside lay a bandoleer he had thought was a dream. She pulled it up and laid it on the table.

"I don't think it was a dream Harry," she murmured. Harry was too shocked to move. He could feel the silent urging to take up the bandoleer and place it upon himself. He resisted it and noticed his hand had begun moving of its own accord. He snapped it back and glanced at Hermione who was doing her level best to ignore it.

"It was real," he whispered? He tried to grab a hold of the memories, to force them to the surface. Slowly, as if sluggish from sleep, a single memory came. It was a name, Astarael.

"The Weeper," Hermione said. He had said it out loud without noticing.

"It wasn't a dream. It was real. We're here Harry, it worked. We're back."

"Back from what," a voice asked at the kitchen door. Harry spun to see the last person he thought he'd ever see. He gave a choked sound.

"Sirius?"

The memories rushed back in a torrent of vivid emotions and terrifying clarity; finding the bells in the Come and Go room within Hogwarts, learning of the Charter Mages, gaining his own mark, becoming a traveler within the Precincts of Death. Sirius falling. Everything, he remember everything.

Then it was all gone in a flash, he couldn't remember why he had felt such an upwelling of emotion at the sight of his Godfather, whose house he was in. Of course he would see him, so why did it feel like the first time in a long time. Harry stumbled and grasped a chair for support as the memories rushed back again.

He gripped them this time, and tightly shut them within a small part of his mind, unaware that he was utilizing skills he had never heard of before. Slowly the deluge faded and he was left with two sets of memories. His future self and his present self.

He turned to Hermione, who could only nod as she noticed the new awareness within him. Sirius stared at him in puzzlement. Harry had to think quickly to hide his predicament for the time being, the less who knew the better, especially since he had broken the law big time.

"Sorry, you just gave me a fright," Harry hastily explained. Sirius peered around in the dark for a moment and then smiled.

"Yeah, happens to everyone in this grim old house," he said, waggling his eyebrows. Harry smiled for the first time in what felt like a hundred years, a true smile, born of good old fashioned real humor. He chucked a stale roll from the table at his Godfather and sat back down, noticing that the bells and Hermione had brought down were conspicuously absent. They would have a talk later he was sure.

"So what are you two doing up so late in my dear mother's humble abode? Well mine now I suppose, though Merlin knows I never wanted it," Sirius muttered the last part more to himself. Harry cast a quick glance at Hermione who shook her head minutely.

"Having trouble sleeping, Hermione's worried about the upcoming year because of the OWLs and I'm just not sleeping much lately," Harry responded.

"No dreams, nightmares, things of that sort? I'm sorry to ask but Dumbledore won't stop hounding me. I told him I'd ask for forms sake but I don't expect an answer if you don't want to tell me Harry. Just remember you can tell me anything and if you tell me to, I won't say a word," Sirius told Harry with an honesty that Harry felt endearing. It was almost enough to brush away the sting of Dumbledore not asking him directly.

"No Sirius, nothing like that. Just a bit of trouble sleeping is all. New environments and such," I said. He peered at Harry for a good moment, scrutinizing him.

"Alright Harry, just keep in mind what I said. Same for you Hermione, any friend of Harry's is good enough for me. Especially one that risks what you did. Time travel and all," he said with a small smile before leaving the kitchen. Either he didn't notice or failed to mention the two teens going white as paper at his time travel comment. They listened for a full five minutes before daring to breath out loud again.

"That was too close for comfort," Harry murmured to her. She nodded as she cautiously drew out the bandoleer again, wary of making too much noise with it. Harry leaned forward and drew the bandoleer to him. He felt his magic stirring as he touched the ebony black handles. They were slightly cool to the touch but smooth and well-worn. He knew they had been handed down for generations and he remembered the first time he had laid hands on them.

"Harry, we have to tell someone," Hermione said. Harry didn't look up as he checked each bell with practiced precision. There were no cracks, chips or dents. They were in perfect working order.

"Well, who would we tell 'Mione?"

"I hated that nickname last time. You do know that right," she huffed. Harry's smirk was all the answer she got, "what about Dumbledore?"

"Not him, not yet, if he's unwilling to sit down and talk to me like a human being with emotions and questions then he doesn't get answers. Eventually he will work it out, but in the meantime we're on our own. Unless you have another in mind," Harry said quietly. Hermione looked slightly put out, she still idolized Dumbledore a bit, or it was her past self's emotions interfering.

"Not Ron, he'd never understand. I mean could you imagine telling him?" Harry snorted in amusement.

"Yeah, I hear it now, 'Hey Ron, Hermione and I wanted to let you know we're actually time travelers who came back ninety years and now we're going to go save the day. You can stay here.'" Hermione smiled at that and was about to say something when the sound of a cup smashing on the floor alerted the pair to another in the room.

Harry's head whipped around, wand in hand and a spell on his lips that died as he met the gaze of the only other close male figure in his life.

"Care to run that by me again Harry? It sounded like you said you and Hermione time travelled ninety years?" Remus' voice reached a pitch neither of them knew he could reach.

"Shit, Moony, you weren't supposed to hear that," Harry said with a grimace. He didn't even try to deny it; the werewolf had superb hearing and was sharper than most people. Hermione gave Harry a pleading glance but Harry ignored it. Remus knew and he was on their side, it couldn't be that bad.

"Uh, yeah Moony, can you keep this quiet?" Remus was too busy staring at Harry with eyes as wide as saucers. Harry carefully stood and moved to Remus, he waved a hand in front of his face. Remus was still in shock.

"Harry, so help me if you make a 'broke Remus' joke I won't talk to you for a month," Hermione warned. Harry smirked slightly. He felt comfortable with this, the new memories and personality felt more and more at home than his old one. The memories of his old self were slowly locking themselves away, he could feel it. Just as he could feel the dark brooding presence once more, of Voldemort's shade within him. He turned from Remus and motioned Hermione over.

The two carefully lowered the stunned man into the nearest chair and proceeded to make a cup of tea for him as well. He slowly inched towards the cup, his eyes gradually shrinking. As the man regained the use of his faculties, he raised the shaking mug to his lips and cautiously sipped.

"So," he began rather lamely.

"So," Harry responded with a small grin.

"Well, um, what can I say? Will you tell me anything," he asked first. Harry and Hermione looked at each other for a quiet moment. Remus gaped again. When the two turned back, they nodded as one.

"That's scary," Remus murmured. Harry cocked his head slightly in question.

"That was just like what your mother and father used to do." Hermione gasped lightly. Harry just smiled sadly.

"Yeah, we know Remus, you've said that before," he murmured.

"What, I did? When?"

"At our wedding."

Harry and Hermione stared at Remus as he slowly came back to Earth again. He gripped the mug of tea so hard, his knuckles started to turn white. His breathing slowed and he slumped a bit.

"You traveled back in time, unregulated. That's," he stopped and gulped, "that's illegal. That's hugely illegal." He swallowed some tea.

"How far back did you travel?"

"About ninety-ish years, give or take," Hermione answered. Harry just nodded; she had done all the calculations and research. He had simply provided the power. Remus' jaw dropped once more.

"This is so bad. We are so dead. Do you realize that most people who go back a few days are regulated? What you did, it's. Well quite frankly it's unprecedented, and foolish as hell" Remus mumbled into his mug. Harry and Hermione smiled at each other again.

"Not necessarily Remus," Harry started.

"Who knows what we've done Remus?" Hermione finished. Remus glanced back and forth between them.

"Ok, that was weird, please don't do that again. And I suppose just the three of us," he finally said.

"And of the three of us, who's going to tell the Ministry about what happened?" Harry continued. Remus pondered the question before slowly nodding.

"Ok, we're not dead. Yet. Now that you're here though, what are you going to do?"

"We took over two years to find and destroy items of importance to Voldemort," Remus flinched slightly at the name and Hermione sighed exasperatedly, "this time we're going to do it in a month."

"Yeah, and no chasing him through Death either," Harry whispered, but the other two caught it. Hermione slowly shifted around the table and gathered Harry into a hug. A moment of silence lingered awkwardly as she comforted him.

"Not to sound insensitive but what does that mean?" Remus looked hesitant to ask, but curiosity gnawed at him. The pair slowly drifted apart again as Harry reached forward to the bandoleer.

"It means exactly what it sounds like Moony, these bells along with two special types of magic, called Charter and Free magic, help one who is christened Abhorsen to travel through the physical realms of the dead and lay to rest those who need it," Harry clutched the bandoleer like it was a lifeline.

"Those who die in our world are sent to one of the precincts based on how much baggage they have left. Ghosts are said to hover inbetween the First Precinct and life which is why even regular wizards can see them. Inferi though, are the souls and bodies of those who have passed all the way to the eight precinct and are brought back with no mental faculties, that is why it is such a perversion to raise them," Harry quietly explained. Remus shuddered at the thought of Inferi.

"There's a tome in the Black study, called the Old Kingdom. If you really want to know more, I suggest consulting it for a start," Hermione explained as she guided Harry up, "We're going to a safe place for now. If Dumbledore asks, just tell him the truth about everything. If you want to that is, just know that I and especially Harry, have taken you into our trust. Should you break it, well, I'll let Harry be responsible for whatever happens." Hermione said the last part over her shoulder, the room darkened a bit and a slight breeze blew through.

Remus could only nod as he watched their retreating backs, uncaring if they could see it or not. As soon as the door closed behind them he trotted off to the study, his thoughts swirling in the night.

"What the hell is an Abhorsen," he could be heard muttering to himself.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Standard Disclaimer is on my Profile.

They stumbled upon landing within the Apparition entryway to the small abandoned cabin. The Black Forest Hideaway was a remote location of the Black Family properties that the pair had used the first time around. Harry stood slowly as Hermione took a few deep breaths, Side-along apparition always gave her trouble when she carried Crookshanks. The part-Kneazle's inability to contribute to the magic meant that she had to supply more than usual.

"You're so lucky," she moaned, "Hedwig can fly." Harry just smiled and looked around.

"It looks the same as the last time we found it, minus maybe a thin layer of dust," he swiped his finger along the mantle of the fireplace. It came away caked in gray. He sighed and began to raise his wand, but soft fingers on his wrist arrested the motion.

"We still have the Trace dear," Hermione explained. Harry grunted in frustration. He looked over his wand and then sighed.

"Until we can receive a new Charter mark I can't even access that, Free Magic will light us up like a beacon for Voldemort until we can get the wards in working shape again. What do you suggest?" Hermione cocked her head as she slowly tapped her lips with her own wand.

"I might be able to use a simple Futhark scheme, but it'd have to be extremely simple if we want to activate it wandlessly," she said.

"Well, why not a Forget-me-not scheme then?" Hermione's eyes lit up and she set about the small cottage. Harry smiled softly as he set about unpacking them, the Muggle way unfortunately. Soon, the cottage glowed slightly and then dimmed.

"You may now move about the cottage, the no-wands sign has been removed and we are at cruising speed," Hermione mimicked an aeroplane pilot, causing both of them to giggle. Harry swished his wand once and the dust disappeared, leaving rough wooden surface clean of grime. He then snapped his wand at the fireplace and a fire was soon crackling merrily, warming the cottage against the wintry German night. Hermione began spreading the parchments they had brought, onto a small table near the fire place.

"Ok, so we know where they all are, but we also know that he moves at least two of them. Dumbledore will attempt to get the ring sometime between now and June, so I think we should go there first, then the locket before Dung can pilfer it. After that, it's open season as long as we're quiet about it," Hermione said as the circled off certain sections on the map of Great Britain. Harry however had other things in mind.

"Or, we could spend the week on a well deserved stay here. Alone. No Ron, no Order, no war. Just a week, to ourselves," he whispered in her ear as he enveloped her in a soft embrace from behind. She leaned into him, reveling in the feeling of being held by her husband for the first time in many years. Her head turned and tilted slightly. Her eyes were half closed.

"We could, couldn't we," she murmured.

"We could and we should. Mione, when's the last time we had time to ourselves?"

"A long, long time ago," she whispered now. Harry tilted his head down slightly and captured her lips with his own.

That night the windows of the cottage fogged against the snow fall outside as the couple rekindled the romance that had fallen by the way side while Harry had battled Voldemort in death.

Meanwhile, Remus was scouring the Black Family Study for the book that Hermione had advised him to read. He had checked damn near every spine within the study and had come up empty handed. He was too afraid to use magic, lest Kreacher find him and wake the house with a well placed word to Mrs. Black's portrait about the werewolf doing magic within her house. He had just finished the last row when he heard a small creak and turned to the door to see a big black dog come prowling in. He smiled as it morphed back into his best friend, who then sat in one of the poofy armchairs by the fireplace.

"Hey Moony, you couldn't sleep either?"

"No, too much noise too close to the full moon, my hearing's going haywire," he said. Sirius nodded in sympathy, "why were you walking about as Padfoot though?"

"It makes me feel a bit better, especially being locked up in this house. It's like when I was at Azkaban, but not quite as bad. Being Padfoot helps a lot." Remus grimaced at the mention of Azkaban, one of his two biggest failings, the other was not being there for Harry, as unfounded as the guilt was, it still lingered.

Remus did not know what to say, so he dropped into the armchair opposite Sirius and stared into the fire. Together, the mulled over their individual thoughts in silence, the only sound in the room was the crackly of the flames.

"Do you think we're doing the right thing Moony?" Remus was startled out of contemplation, Sirius's face was shadowed by the light cast from the fireplace. Remus could just make out a slight grimace on his friends face. The years in Azkaban made it sharper, more angry, just as Sirius was also sharper, and more angry. The once famous temper had, if anything, become more potent and more likely to erupt. Remus shuddered to think what would happen should Sirius truly become angry.

"What do you mean Padfoot?"

"Hiding these things from Harry, hiding his fate from him? Do you think we're doing the right thing, shielding him from this?" Sirius didn't turn his gaze from the fire, but Remus could feel the guilt coloring his words. He had felt the same guilt; before tonight that is. He opened his mouth to argue that they were in fact doing the best possible to give Harry a childhood, but after remembering everything he had heard tonight, he shut his mouth.

"Moony, do you think we're doing the right thing?" Sirius enunciated his words clearly.

"Not anymore, no," Remus half whispered. Sirius's head shot up and round, gazing fiercely at Remus like a hawk at pray.

"What changed?"

"Everything." Sirius seemed taken aback by that.

"How do you mean," he asked slowly, choosing his words carefully. Never had he and Remus agreed on something that went so blatantly against Dumbledore's wishes.

"He's not a young boy anymore. He's grown Sirius, the twelve years we left him, he grew up. Too fast, too much too soon. He's never going to have a childhood, we failed him there," Sirius listened intently; Remus never used his first name out loud.

"He's got friends, he's got family, but he will never have a childhood. We can however make it so at least he has a life. As of now, we tell him everything Sirius. I mean it, we tell him every damn thing we know, because I refuse to let Dumbledore make a martyr of him, just on a chance that he might be right about those thrice-damned soul containers. We tell him, next time we see him, we tell Harry everything." The fire guttered in the flue but Remus could feel a new fire burning inside, one that was reflected in Sirius's eyes.

"Before that though, there may be something that Harry needs to tell you. I'll owl him to see what he says, but let me make it clear, it wasn't my choice to know this and I'm sure if I hadn't walked in on the conversation, you'd have been the first to know." Sirius was confused now, but nodded his assent. Remus stood, looking out the study window to see the rosy fingers of dawn painting the window panes.

"I'll owl him now, and then we'll see what Dumbledore wants to meet about today," Remus muttered to Sirius, both of them exited the study and went opposite directions. A small flesh-colored string went unnoticed as it slithered into the dark.

Remus watched as the barn owl winged way into the steadily brightening sky. It looked like today was going to be a sunny day, a dramatic change of pace from the drearily cold and grey English winter that had been haunting the little house.

"I still can't believe he managed to just waltz out without anyone knowing," Sirius muttered. Remus smirked as he turned to his friend.

"Well it was supposed to be us looking out for him and making sure he stays put," he said with some humor coloring his voice. Sirius also smiled at that. Both gazed out the window, watching the sun break over the horizon in a fiery show.

"Remus we need to get downstairs if we're going to make the meeting on time," Sirius said as he spun on heel to the door. Neither of them liked being in this room too long as Buckbeak took up a lot of its space within and it had been charmed to be uncomfortably warm. Remus followed his friend out and down the stairs to the kitchen where a small crowd had already gathered. They side stepped the red-headed red faced matriarch of the Weasley clan as she berated the Twins for some unknown reason.

"What do we say about Harry?"

"For now, nothing; let them draw their own conclusions. When they ask us, just say we thought he was going to bed," Remus whispered back. Sirius nodded along and they sat in their usual spots about halfway down the long wooden table. Sirius nodded to a few others, his cousin Nymphadora Tonks, Elphias Doge, even Dung who was currently lounging in a corner with a small, thick green cloud of smoke and no one else around. Remus eyed the two newest additions to the Order, Emmeline Vance and Dedalus Diggle. Neither were remotely useful in any setting but the Wizengamot, but both held a lot of sway in the court and so Dumbledore had pursued them until they had joined.

As the group settled down, Molly Weasley entered, looked around for a moment and caught Sirius's gaze. Her eyes narrowed and she downright stalked over to him, her face still red.

"What in the name of Merlin did you say to the Twins? They've all but acted as if they have free reign within this household. Never in my life have I heard of something so irresponsible as your thrice-damned ideas and hare brained schemes for their joke shop. They've found so many Dark artifacts and contraband items in such a small space but they said you helped collect the filth for them," she was livid. The entire room was quiet as she bore down on the Marauder. He silently accepted the berating and the finger-pointing and when she ran out of steam, he nodded once at her and motioned for her to sit. She eyed him, confused. Normally he put up a fight but tonight he wasn't. She sat.

"They're of age Molly, I'm sorry to be the one to break this to you, but they're old enough to Apparate and they're old enough to make adult decisions. The fact that you insist on keeping them out of the Order is irrelevant as they are able to consent. I only helped them as they had asked and I felt it better for them to learn how to use mildly Dark artifacts from someone who's actually experienced in handling and utilizing them," he explained calmly and in a low voice.

"But they're still just children, they haven't even finished school," she sputtered.

"Be that as it may, I am not they're parent or guardian and as they are of age, I will not coddle them as you see fit to do so. I will treat them as the adults they are," as he finished Dumbledore strode into the room, Snape close behind, cloak billowing as ever.

"Right you are Sirius, which is why I'd like to ask you Molly if they would like to join, on a probationary period of course, to last until they graduate. I feel that we will need their expertise in inventions more than ever as the days go by," he said serenely. Molly gaped like a fish out of water, Arthur Weasley, who sat near the back was smiling behind his hand.

"Now then, as we are sufficiently gathered, I call this meeting of the Order of the Phoenix to order," Dumbledore, banging a small gavel that had appeared from the voluminous folds of his cloak sleeves. With a burst of fire and song, Fawkes appeared on his shoulder.

The meeting began with its usual overview of just who was located where and whom lived near whom. No one gave away any of their mission parameters as Dumbledore had taken the intervening years of peace to update their operating procedure and compartmentalize everything so it couldn't be brought down by another Peter Pettigrew. Snape however, gave a scathing report on Voldemort's movements, or rather lack thereof.

"He mostly has his lower members searching for old tomes and hidden scrolls. I know Bellatrix and Rabastan were sent all the way to Egypt for one such piece. I don't know what they are for as he refuses to tell anyone anything and Obliviates them as soon as they return from their mission. I don't think anyone knows, not even Lucius or Bellatrix. He's taken to great secrecy on this matter," Snape said. He stopped to take a drink of water.

"I also know he has called off all hits that he laid on Order members and he's not made so much as even a mention of Potter. He's even stopped sending spies to the Department of Mysteries. I think, in fact, we may be able to remove our guard there for the time being." Dumbledore nodded and stroked his beard as he motioned for Snape to continue.

"The last piece of news I have, is that The Dark Lord has reported to myself and a few others that he has lost all connection to Potter, he cannot access any link between the two. To the Dark Lord, it's as if he no longer exists. I believe his research is looking into reasons for why the connection was cut so suddenly and completely." With that, Snape took one last drink and then stood and made his way out.

The crowded table sat in silence as they digested that information. A few of the newer faces looked to Dumbledore with anticipation. The wizened mage merely sat in his armchair, stroking his beard, apparently deep in thought. The tension in the room slowly grew; Remus and Sirius began to mutter between the two of them as a few others also did likewise. Molly nervously stood and began to move about the kitchen, preparing morning tea and breakfast for the group.

A knock at the kitchen door, followed by a low cough and then Bill Weasley slid into the room, wiping soot off of his jacket. He glanced around for a seat before taking an open one next to Remus. He leaned over to Remus as everyone stared at him.

"Why do I feel like a snidget right before the hunting horn sounds," he whispered.

"We just had some rather disturbing news and we are waiting for Dumbledore's response, anything to distract from the tension I suppose," Remus whispered back. Just as he finished, Dumbledore stood at the head of the table.

"I want to thank you all for coming, I will send out your various mission details with Fawkes at the usual time. For right now, I hear Molly cooking us up what smells like a delicious breakfast and I do hope you all will stay to enjoy it. In the meantime, I now announce this meeting over," and with that he looked directly at Sirius and Remus and motioned to a small room off to the side. They looked at each other and quietly slipped out of the room as the buzz began to grow, the teens could also be heard flowing into the room as breakfast smells assaulted the house.

Once the three of them were ensconced in the small backroom, Dumbledore gave them both a significant look, his gaze drifting between them.

"Now, I have been patient long enough, but I must ask. Where are Harry and Hermione?"

Sirius and Remus glanced at each other before facing Dumbledore.

"I don't know," they said in unison. Dumbledore's brow furrowed as he peered over his half-moon glasses at them. Sirius just shrugged.

"We really don't, they were awake when I was in the kitchen in the middle of the night, but I haven't checked on them since," Remus explained. Dumbledore gazed at Sirius who smirked and just shrugged again.

"And where do you think they might have gone? I only ask because as we agreed, it was up to you two to make sure he doesn't wander off as he is wont to do." Dumbledore reached up and removed his glasses to clean a smudge, Fawkes trilled slightly at the jostling movement and hopped from his shoulder to the back of a nearby armchair.

"Well, we were, but he's a teenager, with magic, in a house filled with wizards. As far as I know or care, he's hiding with the Twins somewhere thinking up escape routes out of this house. Merlin knows I've done the same with James once or twice when I was his age," Sirius joked. Dumbledore glared mildly at Sirius, his glasses forgotten in his hand. Remus was surprised at how much older Dumbledore looked lately.

"Have you ever thought of just telling him and letting him in on everything?"

"I have Remus, and whilst I know in my mind that he should be well prepared, my heart asks that I let him have a bit longer of a trouble-free youth," Dumbledore said, with the air of repeated arguments.

"He's not a child anymore Dumbledore, he hasn't been since he came to Hogwarts. He killed a man with his bare hands when he was only eleven. Maybe it's time to stop trying to give him a childhood and help him prepare so that he can give his own children one," Remus said quietly. Dumbledore sighed.

"There's a great many things I cannot tell him yet Remus, for they would most definitely break his soul and I will not let that happen if I can," he responded.

"You'd probably be surprised what he can withstand at this point old man," Sirius interrupted, anger shading his voice.

"Padfoot, calm down,"

"No, I refuse to have this argument again Moony. Either he starts to prepare Harry or I'm going to tell him everything. And when I say everything," Sirius looked Dumbledore in the eye, "I mean Everything." His voice was low in the end, menace coloring his words. Dumbledore's eyebrows shot up.

"And what would you have me do Sirius?"

"He already knows Voldemort's after him, he already knows he's destined to fight the vile thing again, why not offer him training, knowledge, anything?" Remus interjected softly. Dumbledore looked at Remus whilst stroking Fawkes' head.

"I suppose I could arrange for a series of tutors to help him, maybe even start showing him the memories a bit earlier," Dumbledore murmured, more to himself than the pair in front of him. Sirius whooped and Remus smiled.

"I'll get him started here while you sort out the rest sir," Sirius said, his demeanor doing a complete turnaround. The menacing look was gone, replaced by sheer joy at having gotten his way. Dumbledore nodded and Sirius made to leave, Remus stood still for a moment. Sirius stopped with a perplexed look.

"Is there anything you wished to say? Otherwise, I have to send a few Order members out to try and collect young Mister Potter and Miss Granger from wherever they have managed to ensconce themselves for the time being."

"Don't worry about them sir," Remus said, "we'll go look." Dumbledore peered at Remus for a moment then nodded. The Marauders made their way out of the room only to come face to face with Bill who had his hand full of Weasley scruff.

"Hey Fred, George, Bill, what's going on here?"

"I caught the twins here trying to eavesdrop on your conversation," Bill said as he held them. They weren't even trying to struggle and instead were both looking at Sirius. Sirius stared at them for a moment before a wide grin broke out on his face.

"Alright, you boys can help us out then," their faces lit up. Remus forestalled their response with a raised hand.

"However, you listen when we say something and no back talk. Got it?" They nodded vigorously. Remus wondered just how much trouble they could get into with Sirius. It was not a pleasant scenario in his mind, but if it kept them out of trouble he'd risk Molly's wrath to keep them from eavesdropping on more sensitive meetings.

"Alright, well meet us upstairs in the study, we'll explain everything we need you to do," Remus said, they bolted up the stairs leaving Bill empty handed.

"Well that shut them up pretty quick, how'd you do that?" Bill asked.

"They know that Remus and I were Marauder's during our days at school, sometimes hero worship comes in handy," Sirius said with a smirk. Bill nodded sagely and then walked around them to meet with Dumbledore privately, no doubt an update on the goblins.

"I wonder what they're up to?" Sirius said aloud. Remus knew exactly who he meant and he hoped they returned his owl soon, he was starting to get a little worried himself.

In fact, Harry and Hermione had spent most of the morning together in bed. It had been a wonderful welcome back to the world of the living for Harry. He sighed slightly and started to push himself up. A slender arm snaked over him from under the covers and pulled him back under before he made it up to his elbows. He laughed slightly and looked at the body attached to the arm.

Hermione was still asleep from the looks of it, his mouth was slightly open, eyes tightly shut against the morning sun. He gently tried to remove her arm, but her grip on his side tightened and she groaned into her pillow. He managed to finally pry her arm off and stepped out of the bed to stand before the table in naught but his pants. He pored over the few maps they had sketched of the hiding place Voldemort had chosen. He sat down and began to work as quietly as possible

As he slowly linked them together and drew up a list of plans, the scratching of the quill must have woken Hermione as he found out when she began to knead his shoulders while looking over the notes he had been making.

"We should leave the Diadem for last," she said suddenly, noting he had listed all of the horcruxes in the order which they had discussed. He had placed Nagini last, but he crossed it out and put the Diadem in its place.

"Any reason for the change?" He murmured as she continued her ministrations.

"We don't want to tip his hand too early by destroying all the larger parts of him, the Diadem has the second largest piece aside from the Diary. If we destroy it too soon, he might feel it. We never figured out if he can feel the destruction, seems like it's too risky to try it," she said as her hands moved from his shoulders down his chest, her chin coming to rest on his head.

"Well, that's why you're the brains then," he said with a smile. A loud tapping at the window cause the pair to jump slightly, Harry stood and moved to open the window. Hermione returned to the bed to fish her other clothes out of the trunk at the foot. Harry motioned for the owl to stand still on the table while he waved his wand over the pair. If it was possible for an owl to look insulted, this one did a spectacular job.

"It's a letter from Remus," Harry said as he read over the script, "he's asking us to come back to discuss things, no mention of Dumbledore or anything. Should we?" Harry was skeptical; the letter could possibly come from Dumbledore and he didn't want anything to do with that man until he had returned to full strength. Hermione walked over, pulling a jumper over her while she contemplated it.

"Well what does it say exactly?"

"It just says that he's doing well, he wants to know if he can tell Padfoot and asking us to come back to help explain it to him," Harry said, the letter was quite short and plain. Hermione looked around the cabin before finding a piece of old discarded parchment.

"Grimmauld doesn't have outgoing portkey wards in the Study, right?" Harry nodded.

"Yeah and you can't Apparate anywhere except to the first step outside. It's not connected to the Floo either," he added unnecessarily. They both knew the house inside and out at this point.

"Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have another to help us that knows the whole truth. Although we might run into Professor Dumbledore so we'll have to be careful about that. We can always get Remus to put up some privacy charms while we're there."

"Alright, let's go see them then. I don't feel right hiding things from Sirius, he never did from me." With that the pair stepped to a small corner hidden by a privacy screen and with a turn, Apparated away. The owl glanced around for a moment and then settled in for a nap. It didn't have anywhere to be yet and a cabin like this was bound to have dinner of some kind.

Sirius was staring into the fire as Remus did whatever he was doing downstairs. They had agreed to meet up again around noon if there was no response from Harry. In the meantime, Molly had the youngsters doing chores and general cleaning of the house. He had attempted to explain to her that it was useless, but she had ignored him and simply said that it kept them out of trouble. He snorted as he remembered that conversation. Since then, the Twins alone had been in fourteen separate accidents, not to mention the rest of them. Ron and Ginny were complaining about Harry and Hermione missing out on the cleaning but Sirius and Remus had told them that the two were helping Remus with something separate.

He felt the shadows slowly lengthen, the dark memories that had hidden in the corners of his mind crept in on him. He knew he needed help, real help. From a trained Mind Healer preferably, but he couldn't bring himself to find one. He had a solution for the moment, two in fact if you counted alcoholism as a solution, which he did. For now, he would deal, for now he'd survive. The quill he held had pierced the page of the journal he'd been scribbling in.

He put down the quill he had been mucking about with as he waited. It settled on the tray, only to fly off when something loud and heavy impacted the house wards. Sirius flew out of the chair as he heard yells and movement below.

"Moony! What hell is going on?"

"It's not from the outside, it came from inside. I don't think it's an attack!" Remus yelled back, rushing up the hall. Sirius watched as he flung a bright yellow spell at the front door, waking the portrait of his mother, and turning the door into a one way window. No one was outside. Sirius grasped his own borrowed wand and turned to the hallway of bedrooms. A door creaked open and a pair of soot covered faces peeked out.

"Sorry about that, stupid thing went off," one began.

"We didn't know it would do that." The other finished.

"Fred and George Weasley, if you ever give me a heart attack like that again I will lop off both of your noses and make you wear them in your arses, do you hear me? If it says 'do not touch' then don't touch the damn thing," Sirius practically yelled at them. The looks he received weren't the ones of shame that he was expecting.

"Could you teach us how to do that?" One of the pair asked, his warning all but forgotten. Sirius opened his mouth to berate them further when a second, much louder explosion shook the building.

"That wasn't us," the Twins said in unison.

"Get back in that room," Sirius yelled at them. He turned and bolted down the stairs. They ducked back inside and a bright glow washed over the door. He hoped the other two teens were in there as well. As he reached the landing he saw Remus looking around wide-eyed as a third blast hit the wards.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" A ghostly silver Lynx shot down the hall and through the front door before zapping away in a brilliant light show. Sirius was glad someone had thought to inform Albus. The presence of Kingsley Shacklebolt, Senior Auror leant some calm to the otherwise panicked adults.

"I have to check on the children," Molly cried as she made for the stairs.

"The Twins have magciked themselves inside their room, Ron and Ginny are with them. Harry and Hermione are also safe for right now. We have to do something about the attackers," Sirius explained. Shacklebolt nodded.

"Those two are quick thinkers, they should stay put for now. If needed, they have a fireplace in their room that has an out-only connection. Don't tell them unless necessary," he said, his voice deep and calming. Another blast shook the wards of the house.

"They're going to fail if we take more than two of those explosions at this rate. They're not replenishing themselves quickly enough," Sirius told the group.

"Then let's return fire," growled Mad-eye. His wand was out and aimed at the window before anyone could stop him and a spiraling red curse shattered the panes of glass as it soared outside. Yells could now be heard as it hit someone and they began screaming in pain.

"Ain't gonna be a quiet one folks and the Muggles are gonna hear it. Let's just get it over as quick as we can," he shouted while moving to the window, a searing fuschia spell shot out of his wand and through the new opening. Sirius scrambled to the family room and shattered his own pane, Remus did the same on the other end, then he Transfigured the rest of the glass into stone in a moment of quick wand-work. The stone shook under a barrage of spells, but held.

"I'm going to the back, to make sure none are there. Defensive spells are the priority; we just need to hold off until reinforcements arrive." Shacklebolt moved towards the kitchen and back windows, muttering spells under his breath as his wand moved with blinding speed, throwing up deterrents and blockades around the walls of the house. Moody continued to pound the defenders with blistering chains of spells and curses.

Molly didn't utter a word, but instead stood at the door, holding her wand in two hands, a beam of bright gold connecting her to the door, every so often the door would bend slightly and she would dig her heels in, holding the attackers off. The sound of voices slowly dwindled as the trio of defenders picked off the attackers one by one.

"Oh shit," Sirius breathed. A malevolent wind seeped through the cracks and holes. The door bent further in its frame and the whole house shook.

"I can't hold another one of those," Molly shouted out. Remus abandoned his spot to join her, as did Shacklebolt who came barreling back down the hall.

"Where the hell is Dumbledore?" Sirius shouted from his solitary position of casting spells at the attackers. As soon as the words left his mouth, the assault on the front door stopped. Sirius shot a curious glance around the front yard and saw that the attackers had gone, leaving the bodies of the fallen behind.

"We're clear!" Sirius yelled, the three who had been holding the spell let it cease, Molly collapsed to the floor as Remus panted and Shacklebolt let a sigh of relief loose. Not a moment after, the fire place flared and BIll stepped through in the same moment as Dumbledore appeared in a flash of flames with Fawkes upon his shoulder.

"You're late," Sirius spat at the pair, as he slowly repaired the Transfiguration work Remus had placed upon the French windows. Bill started a no doubt angry response but Fawkes trilled loudly and all of the members of the Order glanced at Dumbledore.

"I am truly sorry that our response time was delayed, it took me longer than I expected to find someone on such short notice. As I could not bring the only other member of Hogwarts with me for fear of discovery, I had to reach out and find someone. I felt that as it was an attack on the wards, our resident wards master would be the most qualified to come," he said quietly, turning to the red-faced Weasley, "if you would be so kind as to check the wards for me Mr. Weasley I would count it as a favor to me." Bill just nodded, shooting a dark look at Sirius and moved towards the back garden where he would have the privacy to check the wards undisturbed.

"As for the youngsters, they are unharmed I take it, from Molly's demeanor," he nodded at the woman. She just gave one in reply with a small smile. He turned then to Shacklebolt and Moody.

"If you fine gentlemen could secure the premises and the prisoners, or their remains," he said with a subtle look of reproach at Moody who seemed unrepentant. The two moved to the front door and left, Moody's foot clunking along the stone path. Sirius and Remus stood in front of the wizened leader of the Order. He looked at them for a moment, and then murmured, "no word from Harry I take it?" They shook their head. At that moment a pair of Apparition pops sounded out from the back yard, earning a yelp from Bill. This was followed by a trio of similar but quieter pops from the front.

"Oh goody, the Aurors are here," Sirius muttered before transforming into a large black dog. Dumbledore nodded his approval.

"We'll just make ourselves scarce for the moment," Remus said quiet as he and Padfoot crept off to the backyard to take care of whoever had Apparated in. Dumbledore removed his wand from his sleeve and waved it in the direction of the portrait.

"That's enough for now Walburga, you disparage the residents at a later time," he whispered.

Molly had shakily managed to gain her feet by that time and moved towards the kitchen, she would have protested letting the Aurors and the Headmaster sort out the mess, but for now she had children to tend to. Merlin knew what they had gotten up to whilst the attack was carried out.

A bell tolled quietly, noting the passing of the noon hour. It sounded quite unlike any clock bell any of the inhabitants had ever heard though.

A mark of a triangle within a circle appeared on the doorway; it glowed briefly and then dulled. The mark remained a black smudge where the peephole normally was.

Harry and Hermione stared up at the old house in wonder. The wards were still flaring at random, a bright azure glow against the noon sun. Harry gripped his wand as he noticed a lone red head firing spells at the protective film.

"That's Bill right?" he motioned to the man with his chin. Hermione nodded, he wand also in hand. They began to quietly approach him when the back door slammed open and a large black dog came bounding out, followed by Remus. They relaxed as the mismatched pair walked up to Bill and Remus began to talk to him. Padfoot however, had his nose in the air and was turning around until finally he caught their scent and barked in their direction, doing a fair impression of a hunting dog.

Remus turned to the couple as Bill finished a long string of spells that glowed like large chain links before drifting upwards to connect with the wards, when the two forces touched a shower of bright gold sparks fell and then the azure wards slowly disappeared, leaving the grey English sky behind.

"Where in the bloody hell have you two been?" Bill began, but Remus waved him off in favor of scooping Harry into a massive bear hug.

"Thank Merlin you two weren't here. Knowing you, it would have ended in reckless bravery," he murmured into Harry's ear before setting the boy down again. Harry's perplexed look didn't not go away as Padfoot pawed at his leg, he crouched down only for the dog to give his face a good lick. He smiled at the worry the two old men exhibited.

"We were doing some research for Moony and Padfoot, Bill," Hermione said as Harry scratched Padfoot's ear and muttered a few words of comfort.

"The Aurors are gone," Shacklebolt called out the back door, motioning for the group to come inside. He didn't seem fazed in the slightest at the return of the pair. Harry smile at the memories the sight of the stark man brought back. He had been a good ally and a great confidant after Dumbledore's death. He hoped the man would prove the same this time.

The moment Shacklebolt sounded the all clear Padfoot had been replaced by Sirius who engulfed Harry in a bear hug as well, despite already having welcomed him back. The man let go after a moment and practically dragged the pair into the house as Remus and Bill followed at a more sedate pace. Sirius rushed them past the kitchen and straight up the stairs to the library/study he had secluded himself in. Remus appeared after a few minutes.

"What about Dumbledore and the rest?"

"Fuck Dumbledore right now Moony, get your ass in here." The door slammed shut and Sirius flipped a small lever that looked more suited for Frankenstein's lair than a wizarding household. The walls began to glow softly and the door actually disappeared from the wall.

"Alright, we're warded to the gills, spill. What's going on? Where the hell did you go? What did you say to Remus? What the fuck is happening? When did you guys shag?" Harry snorted while Hermione blushed a deep red. Remus shook his head in exasperation, Sirius's eyes ping-ponged between the two.

"What the hell is going on?" He asked, his agitation clearly showing. Harry was too busy stifling another chuckle to respond. Hermione just looked on at him in disappointment as if he were an overeager child. Remus was also smiling.

"What hell is so funny?"

"You're like a child with a secret Padfoot, give them a chance to answer," he said. Though he seemed calmer than his counterpart, the eagerness in his voice belied his curiosity.

"To answer your first question, we came at Remus' request." Harry started. Sirius nodded, motioning for them to continue.

"As for where we went, it's a secret for now, we'll tell you more about it when we can." Hermione put in before Harry could blurt out their secret hideaway. He glanced at her, she shook her head slightly. He sighed and motioned at the pair with a look of hurt. She remained firm in her stance and Harry's shoulders slumped a bit.

"We told Remus to look at a particular book, I'm assuming that from his request to meet, he couldn't find it?" She asked as she turned to the only other rational person in the room. Remus nodded. Hermione huffed and turned to the bookshelves. While she wandered off, Sirius looked at Harry and waggled his eyebrows deviously.

"And the last question?" Remus and Sirius both looked on expectantly. Harry glanced at Hermione for a moment, she seemed to be occupied for the moment, at least enough so not to overhear.

"Twice last night, twice this morning," he looked on proudly as Sirius gave a whoop and hollered for joy while Remus just looked a little stunned, but pride was quickly winning out. Harry could feel Hermione's glare on his back. He just grinned good naturedly as she returned with a huge tome in her arms. Remus was looking at the book in much the same way Hermione did when she was researching, captivated awe mixed with a little bit of lust.

"Remus, just take it and go shag it already," Sirius said as he slapped his friend on the back. Hermione and Remus glared at him with something akin to disgust. Harry and Sirius laughed together. The foursome all looked at each other as they realized just how awkwardly alike the group was.

"Have something to share as well guys?" Harry prodded them. Sirius looked at him with horror as Remus just shifted his target from Sirius to Harry. Hermione slapped him on the arm but her small smile showed her amusement.

"Before we let you guys in on anything more, there's something we need to discuss," Harry said as he and Hermione both dropped the humor. Sirius straightened and Remus watched the pair warily.

"We didn't mean for anyone to know anything," Harry said, directing the statement at Remus, "therefore we weren't really prepared for the event that anyone important to us would find out." Hermione picked up where he left off.

"We have several things that need to be kept under wraps, so we want to offer you a choice. The knowledge we hold comes at a price, you feeling of security will be shattered. You will not like what we have to say and you will never be the same. So, Harry came up with a solution."

"We love you both dearly as family and we wanted to let you choose. We can either Obliviate you now and send you both on your merry way."

"Or, you can swear an Unbreakable Vow and elect to let me erect a barrier within your minds to shield the knowledge from those who would use it for ill." Sirius' eyes got bigger and bigger as they spoke.

"How in the bloody blazes do you two know how to do any of that?" He asked.

"You have to choose to know Padfoot, it's the only way," Remus half-whispered as he realized the choice before him.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tell him the big part first and then he can choose," Hermione said more to herself than anyone. Harry just nodded in agreement.

"Tell me." The pair looked at each other. Harry quirked his brow, Hermione shrugged slightly. They both looked at Remus, then back to each other. Hermione nodded, Harry gestured at the pair, then sighed when Hermione gave him a cold look.

"Merlin's balls, it's just like James and Lily," Sirius muttered.

"I said the same thing," Remus whispered back. Sirius gave him a strange look but turned back when Harry cleared his throat.

"We're from the future Sirius."

"Well duh, I knew that," he said as if it were the most obvious thing ever. They looked surprised. Remus groaned.

"Not because of the rescue Sirius." Sirius glanced at him in confusion.

"No Padfoot, when I say we're from the future, I mean the souls inhabiting these bodies are Harry and Hermione from the distant future, about ninetyish years, give or take," he said slowly so the man could wrap his head around it.

Sirius let out a whoosh as if the breath had been punched from his stomach. He grasped at Remus who grabbed onto him, helping the man maintain his stance.

"Ninety years?" Sirius croaked out after a moment. The couple nodded.

"I can see why you would make us choose between those two," he said with a weak smile.

"Mind if I sit for a moment?" They gestured to the chair.

"We understand it's a lot. The illegality of it, the huge jump, the knowledge we have. All those thoughts are no doubt bombarding you, but just keep in mind. We aren't Harry and Hermione from some other universe, we're your Harry and Hermione, just a little wiser and a little more experienced." Remus coughed.

"Ok a lot more experienced, but not the point right now," Harry said as he shot Remus an angry look.

"What happened to the souls inhabiting the bodies?"

"They're still here, they've merged with us. We're not really two people in one body. The only way to achieve that is the darkest of magic, we merely shared mutual memories and energies until we convinced the originals that it's better to merge together than to reject us." Hermione explained the theory.

"And if I choose the Vow, I get to remember all of this?" Sirius asked quietly. The couple nodded again. It was starting to unnerve him. When the Twins did it, it was funny, this was just weird.

"How do we explain this to the others?"

"We don't," was the simple reply. Remus and Sirius glanced at each other.

"We'll take the Vow." They replied in unison. Harry and Hermione smiled and for the first time in a long time, Sirius felt like things would be ok.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: So just a short notice now that this story is starting to gain traction. This is a work made of little free time, off the cuff plot and a lazy lethargic work effort. That said, I like this story and it's continuing apace. I wanted to inform you, the reader, that this is an AU (obviously) and that certain things will happen suddenly that will seem out of place. Please trust me when I say that everything that needs an explanation will get on. That said please let me know what you think, and enjoy the rest of the story.

1

He scoured the books, bound in flesh and written in blood. He pored over old pilfered scrolls from the Hidden Library of Alexandria. He took copious notes and cursed any who disturbed him. He was on a mission.

His link to the Potter boy had inexplicably failed recently and he had no clue why. He did however have a small clue as to what had happened right before the connection had been severed. A single word and a tone, like a bell ringing, had reverberated through the link.

"Kibeth," he muttered for the millionth time. His slitted eyes were bloodshot and the smoking goblet beside his inkpot was low. He sipped on the foul smelling concoction that kept him both alert and his mind sharp as he sought answers. The potion held a small cost, blood of his veins. But the price was well worth the cost. He had been active for over a week now, restless and angry at the hidden meaning of the word.

A knock on his door caused him to scowl and then he twitched his little finger and it slammed open. A pale faced youngster stood like a startled deer, eyes wide, as the Dark Lord barely even gave him attention. The new recruit remained frozen until the Dark Lord stopped reading. He slowly lifted his gaze to the boy.

"What is it that disturbs my work?" He was snarling, the last word came out more forcefully than anticipated and a window cracked violently. The boy flinched but otherwise made no sign of fear, dropping the missive he carried on the desk. He bowed low and did not rise until his feet had carried him backwards out of the room. The Dark Lord did not suffer cowards lightly and one within his ranks was more than enough as far as he was concerned.

He snaked his arm over the book he was reading and snatched the rolled parchment. As he slowly opened it, the first couple of words divulged the contents of the scroll. Bellatrix and her contingent had failed miserably. He grimaced, setting the letter alight. The ashes settled onto the stained pages of the book, he gave no heed to them.

The Dark Lord was angry, furious even, that something eluded his internal grimoire of knowledge. He had not heard the name Kibeth before that blasted Potter boy and now it vexed him. Even Muggle torture did not seem to inspire him. He stood abruptly, the throne-like chair sliding back of its own accord as he stalked around the desk to the armchair by the fire.

"Nagini," he called in Parseltongue. He waited a moment before the soft silken slither of scales on stone alerted him to her presence.

"Rise and look me in the eye. I have need of the Sight," he intoned. The snake obediently coiled her massive length at his feet and then the snake raised her large head up to his eye level. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath in. When he let it out a chill swept through the room and the shadows' fingers reached out to devour more of the torchlight and the light of the flames, the room darkened. His eyes were a sickly yellow and slitted. He stared at her.

Snakes are said to have great powers. He knew for a fact that they did, else he wouldn't have kept something as egomaniacal as himself within the confines of his domain. The snake was loyal to him and for that he gave thanks, for she allowed him a great many uses of her divining abilities, despite the toll they took on her body and spirit. He slumped into the chair as his fractured soul was sent hurtling into the void of the Snake Sight.

A few moments later he recoiled as what remained of his soul slammed into his body once more. Nagini remained in place, waving back and forth a little as the Dark Lord reclaimed his mental faculties. The Snake Sight was clouded around the Potter brat, as if he was hidden from the very sight of Death. He didn't know what to make of it, but it disturbed him greatly.

He turned to the flames and sat, contemplating his next move. More research would be required, he would have to try and find out anything from Severus, as well as more re-appropriation within the Library. He had a lot of work to do and not much time to do it. He needed to know what the full text of the prophecy was, he needed to know what the name and sound meant, he needed to know why the boy was obscured from Death's sight. He needed answers and he would get them

By hell and brimstone, he would take the answers and then he would use them to get what he needed. Lord Voldemort would not die, not now, nor ever. He had worked too hard and for too long to slip into the endless sleep. He needed more resources and more time. It was time to talk to Lucius again. Maybe a short stay at Malfoy Manor and its change of scenery would bring about new inspiration.

He placed his hand on Nagini's head and muttered a single word whilst pointing his wand towards the fire. After a short wait, a man in Death Eater robes and a plain porcelain silvery-white mask with simple eye slits and a single red line across the chin where the mouth should be, appeared.

"Lucius," Voldemort greeted the man with a smile, "please sit, we have much to discuss."

2

Voldemort had finished the transfer of his research station. Malfoy Manor was much more elegant than he remembered. But it served its purpose all the same. Kibeth had faded from memory for now as he sought a way to overcome his current body's limitations. Injecting virginal blood, while potent, was extremely painful.

A knock at the door indicated the return of his lieutenant from her failed mission. He was not pleased with her, but he knew that he had to go through with her debriefing if he wished to find out the exact details. He sneered as he snapped a finger towards the door and it swung open with a loud slam into the wall it was attached to.

She was framed by the doorway, and whilst her mask was on her face, she radiated fear. He could smell it on her and it was not a smell he was accustomed to from her. Good, she understood how badly she had performed in his eyes. She would be pliable to his machinations and would not disappoint him again, of that he would ensure.

"Enter," he hissed. She stepped over the threshold and hesitated for a moment, perhaps wondering if he would torture her. He had already decided to allow the fear to rise before he resorted to base punishment. She would always be able to imagine much more unpleasant results than he would be able to produce. The shattered psyche she held was a potent tool.

She dropped to one knee and bowed her head. He flicked his finger up, causing her to shoot to her feet, aided by his magic. She swayed slightly, as if drunk, but he knew it was a side effect of the small spell he had just used. The eye slits of her mask showed only bloodshot whites with black pupils wide in fright. He grinned as he stepped around the desk. She gained her balance and stood before him mute.

"What happened," he whispered. His lips by her ear as he trailed around her. Searching for injuries, she had none. He capitalized on that.

"I see no wounds, or reason for retreat. I see no reason at all for why you would not only abandon your mission, but also our compatriots," he continued, his voice edged with venom. She shivered.

"My Lord, the Muggle-Lover came, I am not yet strong enough for him. I would have stayed My Lord, but you said that retreat was an option only if the attack was lost. I deemed his arrival as a portent to our defeat and tried to preserve the lives of those who were still useful." She said, he detected no stutter or fear, but the tautness of her body belied her emotions. She had truly learned to mask her fear from others, but never from the Dark Lord.

None could hide from his gaze.

"And did you achieve any of the objectives I laid out for you?" He asked as he moved to the armchairs by the fire. Nagini rose to lay her head upon the armrest, he stroked her smooth scales with a fondness that was almost unbecoming of a Dark Lord.

"No sir, we couldn't achieve any of our assigned missions, we were counteracted too soon. That liar Snape made no mention of who stayed behind after the Order met. He said it would be all clear, obviously it was not," she began to speak heated words.

"Do not lay blame at another's feet. He only told you what he knew, and that is, that the Order meets and then departs; he did not tell you it would be clear of enemy or that it would be filled to the brim. If you had any tactical sense left, you would have scouted the area first, then attacked at its weakest point." He stared at the fire; fear began to roil in the air once more.

"So why was I told that you launched a full assault, in broad daylight, in Muggle London, in the view of potentially any and all of the Ministry's work force?" She trembled at last, he smiled toothily as she slowly came to the realization he had been egging her towards.

"You could have destroyed the anonymity I have worked so hard for. Do you realize, precious Bella, that you almost destroyed your own Lord's plan for the destruction of this blight upon our society?" She dropped to one knee as he let his fury exude from him, the pressure rising in the room.

"Do you realize exactly whom you have disappointed? I am not a forgiving man, you know that. You have seen what I do to those who blunder as horribly as you have done. Please, explain your reasoning."

She gulped, her other knee went down and she came to a rest on her heels, knee already groaning in pain at the hard stone floor. She could barely breath and her chest rose and fell rapidly as she struggled against the pressure. Voldemort sneered down at her for a moment before he dropped his aura. She calmed a little, but she did not rise.

"I have no excuse, Milord. I only ask that you be forgiving in time," she murmured when she finally had strength enough to gasp out. His lips curled in a cruel smile as his hand flashed out, slowly forcing her face upwards.

"Do not hide from me Bella, or it will hurt a thousand times worse." With that his face split into an eager grin and his eyes dulled. He mentally hurled himself forward in eagerness and entered her mind. Her face went slack and a keening wail began softly and rose to a full piercing shriek until he let her chin go. His Legilimency probe enacting a short measure of punishment.

"Do not fail me again Bella. Ever." He muttered as he turned, leaving the woman slumped on the ground. He returned to his books and once more began to write. The scratching of the quill was the only sound in the room as the woman dragged her shattered psyche back together, a little more fractured than before.

As she stood, she bowed to her Master, a new light shining in her mind, a callous and cruel gleam settled in and she smirked. Her Lord was most gracious even in punishment as she reviewed the newest spell he had deposited within her mind. Oh she would never fail him again, of that she was sure.

"Bella, do talk to Snape on your way out. Ensure that he understands that the next time his information is so lacking, he'll not like what I have in store for him," Voldemort declared without looking up. She stopped for a moment, and then nodded at him as she exited, a vicious grin lighting up the creases of her face.

Azkaban had not been kind.

3

The walls were too close. The light was too low. The air was too thick. The windows were too far away. Her mind screamed. She stalked down the corridor, wand at her side and ignoring anyone who paid her heed.

_'Bella, do talk to Snape on your way out.'_

Her Lord's voice rang in her head. Circling like a vulture over dead carrion. Slowly, the words would recede, when the carrion was devoured. She sniggered quietly to herself. Snape's head had affixed itself to the decaying body.

"Lady Lestrange, might I have a word?" She snapped her gaze to a lone figure in Death Eater garb. The silver mask indicated one of the most loyal, the Inner Circle. She cocked her head slightly. Mayhap the vultures could enjoy and appetizer before the main course. The figure indicated a side hall and she glided into it.

The door shut and locked itself, a common occurrence in the Manor. She spun on heel, wand readied, to meet the face of her sister, Narcissa Malfoy.

"When did you start to wear those robes," Bellatrix growled, "You, who shy from violence and torture. You who sneer down at me for doing our Lord's noble work?" She screamed.

"Quiet sister, lest the thugs hear us and we lose this precious moment of quiet," Narcissa retorted quickly. Bellatrix remained mute.

"I am here to ask you one thing and one thing only," she began, "Do you know of what the Dark Lord has asked my son in the coming year?" Bellatrix shook her head. Narcissa turned to the door and placed a few more security charms upon it. With a final flourish she turned back to Bellatrix.

"In answer to your first question, I wear this to move about without having to deal with the unwanted advances of the thugs that now reside within my home," she began. Her face grew more somber as she continued, her body seeming to wilt slightly.

"The Dark Lord has commanded Draco to destroy Dumbledore before the end of his sixth year. He has said that if Draco fails, then he will kill him." Bellatrix searched Narcissa's face for anything other than sadness and worry.

"Where is your pride?" she asked in a low voice. Narcissa scoffed and then glared at Bellatrix.

"What pride is there to be had in such an impossible mission?"

"He is your son and the Dark Lord has tasked him with a mission. It is a matter of great pride," she bit out.

"Not if the cost is your son's life, sister." Narcissa retorted with venom.

"I'm done with this drivel," Bellatrix sneered, "Draco has the proper respect for our Lord. That's all you should worry about." With that, she swung her wand vertically and a torrent of sparks descended about the rom. She stepped up to the door and wrenched in open.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do," was the parting shot as she stepped through the doorway and moved down the corridor.

As she walked she held up a trembling hand and swirled her wand. A globe of soft white light ascended and hovered a foot or so above her head. The illumination wreaked havoc on the shadows around her. She smiled slightly as her shape elongated to a point.

She kept her smile as she round a corridor. There at the end of the hall was her target. He looked at her with a baleful glance as he donned the traveling cloak.

"Oh Severus," she called in a high voice. He hesitated for a moment, "Severus, I have a word from the Dark Lord." She scurried up to him, wand jutting into his ribs and a spell burning on the tip. Smoke wafted up from the cloak as it sizzled.

"Don't disappoint him again Severus," she spoke in a low voice. Her wand dug in for a moment and the heat blistered his skin. He made no motion or pain or surprise. She blinked, once, then twice. She smiled and patted his cheek like he was a naughty young boy. He shivered, and then turned as she skipped off.

Snape gazed at her retreating form for a moment and then tugged the cloak about him, mending the hole with a small wave of his hand. He trudged to the edge of the wards and Apparated to the only place he hated visiting more than the Dark Lord's lair, Grimmauld Place.

As he turned on the spot and the scenery vanished in a blink of an eye, he scowled up at the foreboding old house. There were a few scorch marks on the door frame and a the walls around the large French Window front. As he moved closer he noted a single new addition to the door. A blackened mark on the door where the peephole had been, now retained a smudged sigil of a triangle within a circle.

He was staring at the curiosity when all of a sudden he felt a jolt of electricity travel up his arm as his he unconsciously grazed it with his thumb. He stepped back, his arm trembling, eyes narrowed. He stepped back up to the door and knocked on it, avoiding the mark completely. A moment later, the caterwauling of Walburga Black sounded through the door. This was his one piece of petty revenge on that mangy flea-bitten Black.

The door was wrenched open and he stepped inside to the sight of half the House guard pointing wands at him. He sneered at their ludicrous thoughts that they could duel him. One by one the wands lowered and Dumbledore stepped forward.

"Thank goodness you are here Severus. We have much to discuss. Will you please join me for a spot of tea and some conversation in the study?" Dumbledore asked as the rest wandered off. Black and Lupin were missing from the welcoming party it seemed.

"That would be fine Headmaster," he returned quietly, not bothering with the energy needed to insult anyone else. Dumbledore took it for the troubling sign it was if the look that marred his face was an indicator. They quietly slipped off to a small out of the way room that Dumbledore had started to call his Study room.

A pair of flesh colored lumps on a thin string followed them until Snape whirled around and blasted them to pieces; mutterings of 'blaster Weasley' just barely heard. Dumbledore merely contented himself to chuckle, as he admonished the sullen Potion's Master on retaining his calm. Snape snorted at that.

So did the Twins.

4

The pair settled into the antechamber that sat off to the side of the Black Library. Dumbledore had yet to gain access to the library, despite having earlier had access. Sirius had shut the room down once Harry had disappeared and Albus was perplexed in that regard. It was not many who could say they had pulled the wool the wizened man, but he let it be for now. As long as he could not find Harry then the Dark Lord could not. He had faith in the young man, even if Harry didn't believe it.

"Headmaster, there is news that I feel you should know immediately," Severus began. Albus held up a hand and quietly set about his tea, making it with three sugars and a splash of lemon, perfection. He held up the teapot with an inquiring glance to Severus who sighed impatiently and nodded. He poured it straight, bitter tea for a bitter man. He chuckled quietly to himself.

"Now that we are properly equipped for this kind of conversation, tell me, what is Tom up to these days?" He asked as he peered over the rim of his teacup. Severus sipped his tea, before placing it on the table.

"The Dark Lord intends to have you or Draco killed. He has tasked the boy with a mission to destroy you before the end of his sixth year in return for Lucius' failure to deliver the prophecy to him. I feel he has an ulterior motive but the reason stated is all he's said. Lucius is not happy," he said quickly. Dumbledore nodded, urging him to continue.

"He has also assigned Bellatrix to a secret mission of which none but her know. She was the assailant here, of that I'm sure and now she's departing to places unknown," Snape sipped a bit more tea, "beyond that, he has only asked me to make the foul concoction that he uses to stay awake. I have managed to look at some of the works he's research, most deal with foreign magicks and concepts. One however stood out to me, it was simply titled _'The Olde Kingdome'_ in an older dialect of English. I couldn't decipher much more on the page from the brief glimpse but it seems he's looking into alternative magicks for an unknown reason."

Dumbledore looked deeply troubled. He'd never heard of The Old Kingdom beyond a few rumors and the odd person claiming to be an inhabitant of the land. Their fantastical stories of Death and spirits of great power were always dismissed as the ravings of lunatics or simple stories. He stroked his beard as he contemplated what Tom was researching. Severus took another sip of his tea. Dumbledore stood and paced with his hands clasped behind his back.

"Do you feel that you could secrete that tome into my possession without endangering your position?" He asked after a few turns. Severus took on a look of deep thought as he weighed various factors in his head. The Dark Lord had placed it in his to read pile, but there were several other tomes he had decided on reading before that one.

"I could perchance use a short term copying spell, it wouldn't last more than two weeks, would that be enough time for you to get what you need out of it?" He asked. Dumbledore nodded magnanimously and returned to his seat. Severus fidgeted for a moment before draining his tea and standing to exit. Dumbledore quirked a small smile at him.

"Eager to be somewhere?"

"Anywhere but here Headmaster. If that's everything I'll be on my way," came the acerbic reply. Snape had come dangerously close to a human emotion other than spite and Dumbledore smiled as he counted it as a small victory. Snape glided from the room, cloak billowing behind him. Dumbledore sighed quietly and spent the next hour enjoying his tea, it was too delicious to be rushed.

"Now that that's settled; what haven't you told us yet," was the first question out of Sirius' mouth after the fiery brandings of the Unbreakable Vow faded into his hand. Harry chuckled slightly at the impatience.

"Was he always this bad or are we just now realizing it?" He asked Hermione whose eyes sparkled with mirth.

"No, no, no," Sirius whined, "none of that talking about the future with obscure references. You owe us an explanation. He said, Harry imagined if Sirius were twenty years younger he might have been stamping his feet.

"Calm down Padfoot, let them speak. They have a lot to tell us and it's probably hard for them to figure out where to start."

"The beginnings usually the best place, I've often found," Hermione spoke up. Harry quirked an eyebrow, and hooked his thumb at the book in her arms. She nodded. He pointed at a nearby table and flicked his finger in a 'come-hither' gesture and the table slid silently over to the chairs they were in. Hermione carefully laid the book on the table.

"'_The Olde Kingdome'_ A history of Ancelstierre and the Old Kingdom," Remus read aloud as Sirius stared at the book.

"Are we really going to be using this to explain? Don't you have moving pictures or something," he whined as Hermione patiently cracked open the book, careful of the ancient bindings. Remus smacked Sirius on the back of the head and gave him a look of utmost loathing.

"Be silent and let the adults talk," he muttered. Sirius looked on sheepishly as Harry smiled at their antics.

"The Old Kingdom is a land hidden in ancient magics, almost impossible to find unless one knows a piece of Charter Magic and the correct Free Magic spell to open the door. Ancelstierre is much easier to gain access to however. The two border one another, split by a wall hundreds of feet thick built by the Wallmakers. On one side, is a kingdom of magic and medieval fiefdom and Death. The other is a modern city much like London, but with knowledge of the Old Kingdom. This is where we start." Sirius was captivated, Remus was intrigued and Harry settled in for a good nap.

Hermione slowly went over the founding of the Great Charter, the constructs that ordered the Free Magic of the realm and gave it shape. She told them of Sabriel, the first to notice the resurgence in the dead and the one to unite the Old Kingdom and Ancelstierre, she told them of Lirael and her battle against the Destroyer Orannis. She explained to them the intricacies of the Charter and how it shaped their lives and led them on the path to destiny. Then she turned to Harry who sat up.

"The next part is where you'll find a recognizable character," he said with a pause as they looked at him confused, "Me." They nodded in understanding.

"I am the descendant of the Abhorsen Terciel, through his sister. My great great uncle was Abhorsen before Sabriel and he was the one who warned of the Destroyer's return, along with Lirael who was raised by the Seers, the Clayr. I found the bells in the Room of Requirement, on accident actually. I had been looking for something lost and the sound of the bells ringing drew me to them, I placed them on me, and a mark appeared upon my forehead. I was the Abhorsen-in-waiting," he said.

"Actually, he still is in this time-line as Lirael still lives," Hermione remarked. Sirius and Remus looked at Harry who shrugged bemusedly.

"Hang on, so this other place has a You-Know-Who as well?" Sirius exclaimed. Harry smirked.

"Told you he'd catch on that first," Hermione huffed.

"Is there a prophecy in their world about you Harry?" Remus asked quietly. The others looked at him; Sirius with curiosity, Harry with abject horror and Hermione with worry.

"We never got to find out," he whispered. He turned to Hermione who gave him a single nod.

"Read the book guys, we have to go check on something," Harry pulled out a small mirror from his pocket.

"I still have it Padfoot, I got it from my trunk when we moved. If you need me or have any questions, just call me ok?" Sirius nodded, Remus ignored them now as he was absorbed in the reading again.

"Harry, we need to stop at Hogwarts and obtain the bells again," Hermione quietly reminded him. He nodded, stony resolve covered his mask of worry. The pair looked once at Mooney and Padfoot and then disabled the lever, allowing themselves out.

"Sirius, this realm is amazing. The Old Kingdom, it says here, has not advanced technologically in over a thousand years," he looked up, "and we thought Wizarding fashion as old news." They chuckled as they continued to pore over the old tome, learning more about Harry's past relatives, and what his future title might entail.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: This took forever mainly because of the last section and the transition back to Grimmauld Place. That done, the next bit should be more entertaining and there's even some more wanton violence at the end of next chapter. Hope you enjoy, no idea when the next chapter will be out.

The pair stood at the edge of the wards, hand in hand. With a quick step forward and a pivot, they landed near the Gates of Hogwarts. The winged boars stared menacingly down at them. They ignored the pair of statues as they strode through the slowly opening gate, eager to be within and out in short manner, no sense in alerting Dumbledore more than they had too.

As they walked up to the main doors and opened a small side door that had been cut into the wood to allow for small parties to exit and enter without needing to open the large doors, they glanced outwards, noting the absence of the sound of students. A startling silence in the chill of the winter.

Very few students had stayed behind this winter break, no more than a handful really. They made quick work of the corridors, had one or two mishaps with the stairs and eventually managed to get to the blank stretch of wall that was the Room of Requirement. They paced before it together and entered. Only when the lock clicked and a small slurping sound rang out did they remove their hoods. The door was gone from the wall and they were safe for the time being.

"We should be quick Harry, we don't want to meet anyone on the way out," Hermione said quietly as they surveyed the mess in front of them. It was exactly as they remembered, they stepped forward and waded through the mess. Hermione slipped her wand out and gave a sharp upwards jab, sending a small yellow ball of light high into the room. It exploded and then grew to the size of a large beach ball, glowing like the sun in the dim room.

They wandered down the aisles as Harry attempted to remember where he had originally found the bandoleer. As the moved, Hermione picked up various useful looking knick knacks and stored them in her purse. Harry shook his head as she attempted to fit a full wardrobe into the small opening. She glared at him; he tapped his wand with a raised eyebrow. She gave an embarrassed huff and stood aside for him to shrink it.

"You will not utter that stupid 'are you a witch' line or so help me, Harry." Harry's chuckles broke the gloomy quiet. They kept moving forward. After glancing down several different corridors Harry stopped dead.

"There it is," he murmured, stepping up to a small table. It also had an odd bust on it. Hermione gasped, looking at the bust.

"That's the Diadem Harry," she said as she quickly stepped forwards to grab it. Harry snatched her arm back inches from the crown like device.

"Don't touch it!" He hissed. She jerked back, her mind kicking into gear again.

"Oh, right. What should we do then? We can't leave it here," she sighed, exasperated. Harry glanced around before his gaze alighted on a small hatbox. He grabbed it, dumped the ugly old hat within out, and carefully knocked the Diadem off with the end of a broomstick he found. It fell into the box, which he then sealed with a well placed charm and gave to Hermione.

"Thank Merlin you don't wear hats," he said with a quirked smiled. She swatted his arm. He turned and picked up the bandoleer, dusting it off and checking the straps and latches. They were a bit old and slightly worn, but with a little care and some time it'd be back to itself. He carefully strapped it on, on his outer robe and turned to Hermione. She smiled, it felt like they were slowly getting back to before the final battle.

"Hey, are you crying?" Harry asked softly, noticing she had sniffled. She looked at him, then dropped the hatbox and rushed to his open arms, tears starting to fall. He encircled her and held her close as she slowly let go some of the emotion that had built up over the long years he'd been within Death.

"I missed you in Life," she whispered, "when you stepped over, I couldn't feel you, in here," she tapped his chest, above his heart.

"It was like you'd simply gone on. Even when I crossed over to help, it never felt like anything more than a small echo," she sobbed. He squeezed her gently and then took a small step back and looked her in the eye.

"Well that's not going to happen this time. I promise. I know what went wrong, and now that we're here, we can fix it," he reassured her.

"You're just saying that to make me stop crying," she mumbled to him.

"No, I'm saying that because I mean it," he said, "and to make you stop crying," he admitted after a pause. Another swat from Hermione caused her to chuckle but she slowly dried her eyes.

"Sorry I acted like such a ninny," she said. He just smiled and drew her close, kissed her forehead and then turned her around.

"Now Miss Warrior Princess of Death, let's go get 'em," he said as he lightly pushed her forward. She shook her head, picked the hatbox up off the floor and looked back at him. He raised an eyebrow and she stuck her tongue out.

"Oh very mature," he griped playfully as the two made their way out of the room.

When they exited the room, they looked both ways and then started at a fast trot back out of the castle, passing several students and merely nodding. No one made comment of the box in Hermione's arms or the bandoleer across Harry's chest and soon the pair was on their way to the Ministry.

As the appeared down a small unused alley that had a few notice-me-not charms layered on it to keep curious Muggles out, they swiftly drew their hoods back up before Hermione twirled around. As she spun Harry swished his wand in a complex spiral that changed her robes from plain black Hogwarts ones to those that an Unspeakable would wear, complete with disguised hood. He spun and she repeated the process.

"Let's get this over with," she said, her voice had lowered a few octaves with the hood up. Its shadows concealed her face except her mouth which now looked androgynous. He raised his and nodded.

"Hopefully it's just the one," he replied, his voice a few octaves higher and mirrored Hermione's. He knew his mouth would look the same as her. Since they were similar in height, charms hadn't been needed for their shoes. They carefully peered out of the alleyway and stepped into the phone box standing at the entrance. Hermione dialed the number and it began to sink.

The pair ignored the sound of the Ministry's welcoming message and just said 'here for work'. The welcome magic registered the voices and printed two small square badges that simply read 'Unspeakables for Duty'. They grabbed them and stepped out into a fairly bustling Atrium.

As they moved forward, other patrons of the building simply stepped around them, as if they weren't there. The few that did acknowledge them, turned away after a short glance. No one wanted to disrupt the Unspeakables. They might be researchers, but no one knew exactly what they researched and that made them dangerous.

The pair passed the Fountain of Magical Brethren and Harry stopped to drop a single Galleon in before they moved past to the Wand Weighing station. The guard on duty started to reach for their wands when he looked up from his Daily Prophet and quickly retracted his hand. They breezed through the gates and gathered into a lift. No one else got in with them.

The pressed the large glowing 9 button and grabbed a hold of the handles above them. The lift jerked and then dropped like a stone for a moment, then jerked again and the whole thing came to a jarring stop. The doors opened to the sound of a woman's voice stating 'Level 9, Department of Mysteries.' They stepped out and walked towards the only available door.

"Must we do this stupid room again?" Hermione moaned; her voice still eerily low. Harry smirked under his hood and nodded, yanking open the door. They stepped in, Hermione marked the door with a simple rune that glowed bright white in the darkened room. The door was shut and she grabbed Harry's arm as the outer wall spun, a dizzying sight. She groaned slightly but then stood and shook her head.

"That one," she motioned to their left. They opened the door and stepped into the Time Room. Row, upon row of Time Turners stood in front of them. There were several tables upon which lay small tools and large magnifying glasses, work tables it seemed.

"We need to destroy this, on our way out. There's too much potential for trouble," Hermione whispered as they swept through the room. Harry just nodded once more. They passed the large tank in which a Hummingbird flew into the sky for a moment before sinking down and slowly shrinking until it became an egg which in turn floated near the bottom for a moment and then the egg wobbled, cracked and a small baby bird came out once more.

"That too," Hermione added as an afterthought. Harry opened the door at the end of the room and was greeted to a sight that had haunted his dreams for months on end. He shivered slightly, and then brushed it off as he strode forward. He walked calmly down the rows, looking for the original prophecy they had come to find in their previous life.

"Over here Harry," Hermione called out. Harry made his way over and saw the small cloudy orb. He gazed at the glass ball that held within it a few words which had controlled his life. He picked it up and gripped it in gloved hands. The surface showed a swirl of smoke and then a small ghostly figure rose up. He recognized the face anywhere. His mouth twisted in a snarl and he shattered the glass, releasing the prophecy within. The figure grew larger and began to recite the recorded words.

"That's enough of that," he muttered, swishing his wand and blowing the figure away. It dissembled into harmless smoke and some bits of glass.

_"Evanesco,"_ Hermione whispered. After a moment, she looked away from the spot on the floor. Harry turned towards the shelf and looked again. He noted there were no other spheres with his initials on it. He gripped the shelf for a moment. Hermione touched his arm.

"Stand back," he murmured to her. She gazed at him for moment.

"What are you going to do?"

"Just stand back," he snarled for a moment. Then he caught himself.

"I'm sorry. I just-" he paused, "I'm going to destroy them all. I'm going to destroy them and set their subjects free." He turned to her.

"Please, stand back." She pulled her hood back.

"This won't stop them. This won't remove the prophecy from their lives," she said. He yanked his hood down.

"Those who don't know yet will never know, they won't need too, none of them will make their lives into a self-fulfilling shithole. This vile room will no longer control anyone's life. Just like I control mine, so too will they," he said with a fervent gleam in his eyes.

"The only one who should have a say in your life is you. Not some bat's words, not some old man's machinations. The only one who should have any say in your life is you." With that he turned, pulling his hood back up. With one hand he snapped his middle finger and his thumb, creating a bubble around Hermione, with the other he jabbed his wand sharply forward. A torrent of flame came forth; it roared with fury, a black edged hue took on the form of a soaring phoenix.

"Burn it all down," he whispered. The flames leapt to obey and consume. They gushed through the hall and enveloped every last orb in heat and flame. The glass orbs began to crackle and explode in the heat, the ghostly images within were swiftly evaporated by the flame. Alarms began to sound, but the klaxon couldn't be heard over the roar of the fire. Hermione tugged her hood up, snapped her wand at the transparent shield and grabbed Harry's arm. An angry sneer marred his face as he directed the flame.

"Put it out Harry, we need to go, now!" She shouted over the din. Harry's arm lowered, the flames beginning to gutter as he slowly withdrew them back into his wand. When the final flame extinguished itself within, the room stood empty of everything save the pair. The alarms were now deafening and the pair looked at each other.

"Go," Harry said as he pushed her towards the now obvious exit. She ran off towards the door, Harry hot on her heels. She swung her wand in a horizontal slash, blowing open the door and shaking the walls. They stormed through the time room, flinging explosive hexes at everything, destroying the rows of Time Turners as well and reached the circular room of doors. Harry slammed the door shut and it spun once more, the rune still marking the exit. They slipped out of the room and turned sharply, hiding in an alcove with Harry holding his wand vertically, a line of energy ran up to the ceiling and down to the floor. On the other side of the alcove, an illusion sprung up of an empty spot.

"We should be safe for a few minutes," Harry said as he let the wand go. It hovered in place, maintaining the illusion. A number of hooded Unspeakables ran past, muttering to one another as they did so. Harry watched as the streamed past, all entering the Door Room at once. As soon as the door slammed shut, Harry snatched the wand out of the air and the pair leapt forward towards the lifts.

They managed to reach one unimpeded, hopped in and Harry mashed the button for Level 8. Only after the doors closed did they breathe a small sigh of relief. They were through the harder half.

Hermione clung to Harry instead of the hand holds as the lift rocketed upwards and in a matter of seconds, settled on Level 8.

"Ministry Atrium," the female voice soothingly murmured as the doors opened. They looked out as the hustle and bustle moved along as it normally did. No one knew that on Level 9 a huge mess was stirring and people were running around. The Unspeakables had apparently disconnected themselves from the main alarm grid. Arrogance had led them to believe they could contain any problems. Arrogance that had been their downfall.

They exited the lift and swiftly slipped between the others and out of the lift banks towards the Muggle London exit. Floo would use a miniscule amount of magic and allow others to trace their travel path, following them easily, something they couldn't risk at the moment. As they moved, the crowd started getting more hostile and the sounds of yelling started to sound out from the lifts bank.

"Harry, we need to get out, now," Hermione muttered.

"Thank you dear, I think we both realize I have ears too," Harry shot back, "Out of the way you idiots!" The people in front of him gaped at him in expressions ranging from shock to anger. A few just shook their heads, mumbling about arrogant bastards in hoods. Harry flicked his finger and a small force buffeted the witches and wizards in front of him into two sides, leaving a narrow corridor.

"Now, we run." With that, the pair flat out sprinted for the phone box. Leaping inside and slamming the glass shut. It rose ever so slowly, people noting them leaving and a handful of hood Unspeakables pointing to the lift. It started to slow, the top half slowly rising out of the sidewalk in Muggle London when it stopped entirely.

"That's not good," Harry muttered. He looked around, noting that the booth seemed to be lowering.

"Fuck it," he muttered and raised his wand, a bright yellow spell shot out and shattered the upper third of the booth. The pair clambered out and then watched as it sunk back into the ground. The hurried to the charmed alleyway, Transfigured their robes back to normal and then slunk away.

They heard voices shouting as they swiftly veered off down a separate street and then ducked into a small local pub. Harry moved to the bar and asked about phoning a cab. The bartender nodded and grabbed a phone from under the counter, dialing and then handed the receiver to Harry.

Hermione was keeping an eye on the window panes in the door and smirked a bit as a collection of motley dressed men and women ran past the pub, never once stopping to look inside. Harry turned away from the phone after slipping a few quid to the bar tender.

"They'll be here in about 20 minutes," Harry said as he dragged her down next to him in a booth. Hermione just nodded and pulled out a small steno notebook from her bag and began to write in it. Harry drummed on the table with one hand, the other resting under his chin. He gazed at the telly in the corner, appearing to watch a football match, but his glazed eyes told a different story.

They waited impatiently, Hermione's pen scratching quickly across the note pad. They were disturbed as the door wafted open and a pair of neatly dressed men walked in. Hermione's pen stopped, but she didn't look up, she muttered a single word, the notebook flashed a muted red and then the world outside of the booth they were in seemed to take on a blurred edge, as if everything was slightly out of focus.

"Harry, we have trouble." Harry's eyes blazed back to awareness and he looked at the pair of men in simple suits. His face twisted in a snarl, he recognized neither of them, but the suit was something all Unspeakables wore. The pair looked around the establishment, and then one went to the bar and asked the bartender a few questions. The bartender looked around, then shrugged and indicated the door.

"He hasn't left yet," one of them said. It came through with a bit of a buzz, as if from the other end of a far away telephone. The silent one put on a pair of glasses and looked around again, his gaze finally landed right on their booth. He nudged his partner and the pair made their way to the booth. One was slightly taller, something they couldn't really hide via magic in the Muggle world. The other was actually a woman.

They tapped the barrier slightly and then simply walked through it. It flexed slightly and then expanded to include the two new occupants. They say opposite to Harry and Hermione and waited for a moment. Harry sneered at them and then turned to Hermione.

"Cab will be here, let's go." She nodded and the two started to make their way up.

"Not so fast, Mr. Potter," the one without glasses said. His tone was too even, too flat.

"You need to come in, Mr. Potter. We need your help to recalibrate some of the sensors you've destroyed," the other chimed in, again too even and too flat. Hermione's eyebrow rose. Harry snorted, but under the table his wand had snapped into his hand.

"Well I was just on my way out; I'll stop by sometime later ok?" Harry tried.

"No, the Director wants to see you now."

"Well tell him that I've got the message and I'll be sure to swing by soon. Everyone gets tied up sometimes."

"Well if you'd be willing to hand over your wand, that might be enough to satisfy the Director for now," one of them said. Harry grimaced.

"Over my dead body."

"There's an idea," the woman said. Harry smiled and then flicked his wand, the woman's head snapped back and her partner dived out of the booth. A small flick and the man's head twisted left. Both were still.

"Harry, what did you do?" Hermione whispered.

"Come on, let's get out of here," Harry whispered back. He grabbed Hermione's hand and she listlessly followed.

"That wasn't necessary," she said.

"I'm not going back to the Ministry yet Hermione. I've got a second chance at a life with you. I'm not going to let them take it away from me." His eyes blazed as he looked at her. She shrank slightly, he was more intense then she remembered.

"Come on, we need to get out of here." With that, he turned on heel and disappeared with a crack. Sirens followed in its wake.

The pair appeared within the vicinity of where their hideout lay, secured behind an avalanche of wards. They stepped through the curtain of spellwork and became invisible to anyone who might have tried to follow. Harry flicked his wand at the lock after they entered the cabin. Hermione sank into a chair by the table. Harry started a fire and then began to prepare a simple stew in the cauldron that hung above the flames.

"Harry," she said. He hesitated a moment before continuing on with his preparations.

"Harry, please come sit down," she all but begged. He looked into the fire, eyes alight. He shook his head mutely.

"You killed them. You didn't need to kill them. You didn't need to destroy that room. You didn't need to do these things, so why did you?" His eyes snapped shut; he was gripping the wooden spoon so hard his knuckles had gone white.

"I had to." It came out more as an exhalation of air than actual spoken words. Hermione barely caught it.

"Why?" Harry placed the spoon within the cauldron and left the contents to bubble as he slowly stood and turned. His back found the rough hewn stone and his arms came up to cross themselves in front of his chest. His chin sunk until it too met his chest.

"It was the only way," he murmured, his face rising to look at her. The fire caused shadows to play over her face, but the tears shone like small jewels in the ruddy light.

"In all our time together, you always promised me that it wouldn't be your first resort. You promised me that you wouldn't let the Precinct's change you," she whispered. His jaw tensed.

"But I can see that was a lie. I can see it now. You've come back with me Harry, but there's something else," she continued.

"And what should I have done Hermione? I made a decision. When we started to plan for this attempt, I promised myself I would do everything to prevent it from happening again. I promised myself that I would do whatever was necessary to protect you," he snapped back.

"I don't need you to protect me," she shot at him.

"That doesn't mean I want to just leave you to their grasp," he said. His hand spread wide now, fear tingeing his voice.

"I refuse to let anyone control us anymore Hermione. Not Dumbledore, not Fudge or Scrimgeour, not even Fate itself will control our destiny Hermione. We already proved we have the power to change things, to make them better. To set right the injustices laid on us." He was ranting now and he knew it.

"We gave fate and prophecy a kick in the teeth doing this Hermione. We proved that even fate can't control us if we don't let it, and I refuse to let anyone else control us. The Prophecy room is destroyed, the Fiendfyre saw to that. No new shelves, no new orbs, no new fates to dictate someone's life," he said.

"And you think that will stop Seers from making their predictions?" Hermione asked.

"Seers can make any prediction they want, but there will be no record at the Ministry. No bureaucrat can tell us that we must do something, based on some old bats word," he shouted

"They'll just build a new room and place new wards," Hermione began.

"We'll cut that one down too. Again and again if need be. Until the Ministry gets it in their heads that building new rooms is useless." Hermione gazed at him with an expression of betrayal and sorrow.

"What about the killing, Harry?" He looked away from her. The disapproval in her eyes burned him up inside.

"They would have made me restore the room. They would have used my body and magic to remove the effects of the curse," he glanced at her, "I couldn't allow that."

Hermione stared at him for a long time. Her eyes tracked his every move as he pulled up a chair to the fire and renewed his cooking efforts.

"The things we had to do Harry, before we came back. There were many things I didn't want to do, many things we shouldn't have done. This was supposed to be our chance to start fresh, to leave those terrible deeds in the past," she said slowly. He didn't turn.

"You've ruined that already. Do you realize what you've done?"

"It'd only get worse, Hermione, you know that," he said shortly. She flinched slightly, "I'm going to finish it, before we get to that, before it gets that bad again." She slowly leaned forward, placing her elbows on the table.

"And if we're faced with the same choices as last time?" He turned at this; the haunted expression on his face clearly answered her question. She hung her head.

"I need you to be with me on this Hermione. I can't go through this again without you," he spoke quietly. She gazed at him.

"I need my better half here, with me, to keep me from going too far," he said simply.

"That's what I'm scared of Harry, because I'm terrified I won't know how far is too far." The fire light danced as they held their silence.

"Dinner will be ready soon," Harry said, there was nothing else to say now. She would figure out the rest without his help. He breathed a sigh. As he stood a pair of arms crossed over his mid section, he felt her pressing against his back.

"I love you Harry."

"I know."

The coals sent a soft flickering light over the cabin; forming shadows over Harry's face as remained at the table. Hermione had gone to wash the few dishes and clean the pot. He stared at the wand in his hand; a small scalpel like athame was poised over the wood. Little shavings lay on the table and the wand glowed with runes of the Charter.

He inspected them to make sure they were all steady and smooth before finally carving the master symbol of all the Charter upon the very bottom edge of his wand, they all flashed once and then dimmed. He stood and raised his arm like a conductor. A bubble of laughter escaped as he began to draw various symbols and shapes, marking out the alphabet of the Charter in the air itself.

Hermione came in to see him writing out long strings of symbols that were meant to invoke various spells and reactions; he always left off the activating symbol though. She smiled slightly as he continued on and on. She had always marveled at how quickly he had picked up the symbol-language, but then their trainer had told them it would be almost instinct to any Abhorsen. Free Magic was something he had struggled with though, oddly enough.

"I see someone's been busy," she said, catching his attention. He smirked as he drew a small string of symbols and then activated it, she could feel an unseen force dragging her towards him and laughed quietly as she made her way into his arms. She grasped him and clenched tightly at his waist. She could feel the warmth of his body as he enveloped her.

"Do you forgive me," he murmured into her hair. She quietly nodded. He sighed and held her longer. As the stepped apart she smiled at him.

"It'd be kind of hypocritical of me to not forgive you after everything that happened in the last timeline, I suppose," she said. He smiled back and the pair made their way to the table. He handed her the athame and she quickly set about carving the same symbols that Harry had into her own wand.

The pair sat in companionable silence, the only sound coming from the scratching of the wood. Harry watched in the glow as she concentrated on the task. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, her nose crinkled in concentration as she carefully carved out the symbols.

They had been through so much together, and now he was asking her to risk it all again. Their lives and the lives of the wizarding world. He knew however, that if he asked her to remain behind, she'd castrate him and keep his bollocks until he agreed. He smiled slightly.

She had her wand working again within an hour and soon the two were packing everything together. Now that they had the bells and their wands were properly prepared, they could go back to Grimmauld and possibly Hogwarts. They wouldn't be doing much academic work though, and they packed accordingly.

Well, Harry did. Hermione as usual brought an entire Library and then some, but Harry forgave her when she placed a charter mark that allowed for a Feather Light charm to easily let them manage. Harry snuffed out the fire and the pair walked out of the cottage and to the edge of the wards.

"Ready or not, we're going to face some questions. You sure you're up for this?" Harry had asked this multiple times already. Hermione huffed, grabbed his arm and Apparated them away.

They appeared in the back lot, near the edge of the fence and within the small circle that had been set aside for Apparating. As the pair stared up at the old house, Harry's face slipped into a neutral look, Hermione followed suit.

They could feel the power of the Headmaster as he looked upon them from the backdoor. He was not happy in the slightest, and he was making his displeasure known. Harry squared his shoulders as he and Hermione started towards the door. Dumbledore gazed down at them for a moment, also neutral before he stepped aside to allow them in.

They quickly made their way through the house, muttering hello's and how are you's to various Order members before making their way up to the bedrooms. They dropped off the trunks and then Harry drew out the Invisibility Cloak.

The time for a talk with the Headmaster would come, but not quite yet. They squeezed together and made their way to the Study where they had no doubt Sirius and Remus were holed up, as they had not seen the pair on their short journey through the house.

Hermione nudged Harry and they slipped into the room, Harry flicked his wand at the door, a string of symbols streamed out and splashed upon the wood, causing the door to glow. After he turned back, Sirius and Remus motioned to the couch in front of them, mirroring each other.

"So, did you two read the book we mentioned?" Harry knew they had but the formalities had to be observed, for the Marauders sake at least. He quirked an eyebrow.

"Of course we did, we're not stupid," Sirius said, exasperated. Harry smirked.

"Well, ask any questions and we'll tell you no lies."

"Probably," Hermione interjected.

"Well," Remus began, looking at Sirius. They seemed to come to a conclusion and turned back to the pair.

"What's an Abhorsen?"


End file.
